The Hindemith Prize, worth 20,000 euros, is awarded to outstanding contemporary composers as part of the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival. This year, it went to Hannah Kendall (CRF 2021)– congratulations, Hannah!
Hannah Kendall is currently completing her doctorate in composition at Columbia University. At the age of seven, she was already listening to baroque music and playing the violin and piano. For a long time, composing herself did not occur to her – after all, according to her own statement, as a British woman with South American-Caribbean roots, Kendall was not aware of any “black composers” as role models. Nevertheless, in her twenties she decided to study composition. Since then, Hannah Kendall has made a name for herself with her works, especially in her home country of Great Britain. Her orchestral piece “The Spark Catchers” was premiered at the Royal Albert Hall in 2017. She has composed the chamber opera “The Knife of Dawn”, choral works and the dance piece “Labyrinthine”.
The 33rd Hindemith Prize winner convinced the jury with her broad compositional spectrum and expressive style: “Hannah Kendall displays enormous compositional diversity, ranging from classical heritage to experimental ideas. The richness of sound she creates with seemingly playful ease, her clear structure, energy and lack of compromise have inspired us unreservedly. I am very pleased that Hannah Kendall will enrich the SHMF next summer as a Hindemith Prize winner,” said Dr. Christian Kuhnt, artistic director of the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, explaining the decision of the jury.
Hannah Kendall was overwhelmed by the honor: “To have my music recognized in this way means everything. I will most likely spend the award on developing pieces that I hope will take my practice in new directions. Music that I am working on in-between commissions that I am very excited about, but am having to fund myself.”
The jury consisted of Prof. Dr. Andreas Eckhardt (Fondation Hindemith), the Minister of Culture of the State of Schleswig-Holstein Karin Prien, Dr. Christian Kuhnt (SHMF), Prof. Elmar Lampson (Gerhard Trede Foundation and College of Music and Dance Hamburg), Dr. Astrid Bernicke (Hamburg Ministry of Culture and Media) and Prof. Rico Gubler (College of Music Lübeck). Learn more here.