Lucia
Ronchetti

The Silver Lion 2024 has been awarded to Ensemble Modern, the historic German ensemble that for forty years has tread the paths of the European and American avantgarde, beside figures such as Stockhausen, Reich, Lachenmann, Andriessen, as well as Frank Zappa, Ornette Coleman, and Anthony Braxton.

The decision was made by the Board of Directors of La Biennale di Venezia upon recommendation by Lucia Ronchetti, director of the Music Department.

The awards ceremony for the Silver Lion will be held on September 29th in Sala delle Colonne at Ca’ Giustinian, the headquarters of La Biennale, during the 68th International Festival of Contemporary Music (26 September > 11 October).
Ensemble Modern is awarded the Silver Lion “for the fearless and courageous creation of musical projects in collaboration with the most interesting and acknowledged composers and performers in the fields of media and different musical languages. In its 44 years of activity, the Ensemble has distinguished itself for its curiosity, energy, innovation, virtuosity and the passion with which it has dedicated itself to every new project. Unlike other historic ensembles dedicated to new music, the Ensemble Modern has a democratic organizational structure that allows all the members of the ensemble to discuss and together choose the new productions and performance engagements, which makes their interpretations passionate and precise. Their attitude towards composers from around the world is professional and respectful, both in the case of emerging young composers, and of great established composers. The members of the ensemble are soloists with different and contrasting personalities, and each of them responds to the demands of the new music in a different way, creating a complex multiform dialogue that enriches the compositional experience and stimulates research and creativity” (from the motivation).

Performing at the Biennale Musica since 1985, this year Ensemble Modern will return to the Biennale for the Italian premieres of two important complex instrumental works by Rebecca Saunders: Wound, which will inaugurate the Festival on September 26th at the Teatro La Fenice and for which the famous German ensemble will be joined by the Orchestra del Teatro conducted by Tito Ceccherini, and Skull, commissioned by La Biennale in collaboration with the Festival Acht Brücken, the Ensemble Contrechamps of Geneva, the Oslo Sinfonietta and the Ensemble Modern itself, which will perform it on September 28th at the Teatro Piccolo Arsenale, conducted by Bas Wiegers.

https://www.labiennale.org/en/news/2024-lion-awards-music