Award Ceremony | Concert
The 2026 Busoni Composition Prize has been awarded to the young South African composer Njabulo Phungula. The Encouragement Prize has been awarded to the Lebanese composer Raphaëlle Aoun, who lives in Germany. The jury consisted of members of the Music Section: Christopher Fox, Anna Korsun and Annette Schlünz.
Image gallery
Njabulo Phungula
The prize-winner, Njabulo Phungula, composes music characterised by sensitivity and artistic depth. It invites the listener to engage, opens up new realms of perception and creates an intense relationship between sound, time and listening. What also makes his work remarkable is his ability to combine complexity with immediacy. His works are performed in South Africa, the USA and throughout Europe, including by the Klangforum Wien, the Ensemble Recherche and the International Contemporary Ensemble.
The works of the award winner Raphaëlle Aoun impress with their sonic sophistication. Through her music, she aims to forge a connection with her audience and to stimulate reflection and dialogue on the role of contemporary music in today’s society. Her works are performed by renowned ensembles and soloists, including the Ensemble Modern, the Ensemble Musikfabrik and the Ensemble LUX:NM. She is currently studying for a Bachelor’s degree in composition at the Hanns Eisler Academy of Music in Berlin.
The Busoni Composition Prize was established in 1988 by Aribert Reimann and is awarded every two to three years to young composers for compositions of exceptional quality and innovative compositional approaches. Through this award, the Academy of Arts supports emerging composers; since 1992, it has also supported composition students.
Programme
Welcome
- Manos Tsangaris, composer and President of the Academy of Arts
Laudatory Speeches
- Annette Schlünz, composer and member of the Music Section of the Academy of Arts
Concert
- Raphaëlle Aoun: New work (world premiere, 2026), for violin, viola, percussion, flute and clarinet
- Njabulo Phungula: like knotted strings (2022, rev. 2023), for string quartet
- Njabulo Phungula: the skin of the forest cradles the earth’s soul (world premiere, 2026), for 7 musicians (violin, viola, cello, piano, percussion, flute, clarinet)
- Ferrucio Busoni: Finnish Folk Tunes, Op. 27, for four hands (1888)
- Ferrucio Busoni: Serenata (in G minor), Op. 34 (1883), for cello and piano
Musicians
- ensemble mosaik
- Enno Poppe on piano
Additional information
Dates
November 2026
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