Award Winner in 2023:
Hans Abrahamsen, Denmark

Award Committee:

The opera The Snow Queen by Hans Abrahamsen, which premiered in autumn 2019, marks nothing less than a milestone in three areas: 1) as Abrahamsen’s first opera, 2) for Hans Christian Andersen´s original 1845 fairy tale, which after nearly 175 years found a congenial musical clothing to match the existential questions of our time, and 3) it became one of the most significant artistic contributions of our time not only as an interpretation of Danish cultural heritage, but also on its own terms, proving to audiences in 2019 (and 2023) that Hans Christian Andersen´s theme still has the utmost validity. Given Hans Christian Andersen´s complex and artistic insights, however, it is no small thing – here in the poet’s own homeland.

Thus, in addition to being an unforgettable and in every way musical experience in its own right, all who have seen your opera will gain a richer and more mature understanding of Hans Christian Andersen´s already challenging narrative.

Hans Abrahamsen, Denmark for his opera “The Snow Queen” (2019)