Arts and Philosophy Category
Prize Field: Music

"A musician of outstanding creativity who has contributed to the establishment of the historically informed performance of European early music, and who has extended his principles and interpretation to modern music as well."

Background: In 1953, Maestro Harnoncourt organized the specialist ensemble Concentus Musicus Wien (CMW) in Austria. In the 1970s, a series of operas by Monteverdi that he conducted were received with great public acclaim. His performance appearances have included the Vienna and Berlin Philharmonic Orchestras; the Chamber Orchestra of Europe; and the Salzburg Festival. While the public is prone to praise superficially beautiful sounds and flamboyant techniques, Maestro Harnoncourt has aimed to restore the glorious cultural position that music occupied prior to the 18th century. He reproduces the authentic sounds of early music by studying its historical context, including performing methods, customs and musical principles - even restoring original instruments and investigating original scores. He regards performers as translators who comprehend the ideas of artists and express such ideas in the language of their period - constantly expanding the range of the art by analyzing theories, practical methods, and both the past and present of music in a macroscopic way.