Berenberg Culture Prize 2024 for HfMT Chamber Choir
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Normally, one artist takes center stage at the Berenberg Culture Award ceremony. Occasionally it has also been a duo or a trio. Yesterday evening, however, 50 young musicians were delighted to receive the prestigious award, as the Chamber Choir of the Hamburg University of Music and Drama (HfMT) was the first such large ensemble to be honored.
"The choir was founded in 2013 and gives students the opportunity to develop choral music at a very high level. Under the direction of Prof. Cornelius Trantow, the choir works intensively on the development of the choral sound and cultivates a broad repertoire, especially of a cappella choral music," explained Prof. Dr. Jan Philipp Sprick, President of the HfMT and member of the Board of Trustees, to the 300 guests at the award ceremony in the Small Hall of the Elbphilharmonie.
Dr. Hans-Walter Peters, Chairman of the Board of the Berenberg Bank Foundation from 1990, presented the 12,000 euro prize and said: "This choir is a great example of how colorful and diverse music can be. With this prize, we want to promote cultural life in our home city of Hamburg, not least because it is an important contribution to the attractiveness of the location."
In addition to the cultural prize, the foundation, which was established on the occasion of the bank's 400th anniversary, awarded several scholarships. Together with Theater Kiel, the foundation organizes a competition for up-and-coming authors. In the field of fine arts, the Iranian painter Simin Jalilian was awarded a scholarship.
The Tovesco Trio, consisting of Veronika Rädler (violin), Francesco Maccarrone (piano) and Luca Giovannini (cello), and harpsichordist Elena Khurgina also received scholarships. Born in Ukraine, she focuses on historical performances and collaborative interdisciplinary projects that explore the relationship between sound, art and movement.
About the Berenberg Culture Prize
Berenberg has supported numerous initiatives in its long history. Cultural diversity and a lively intellectual life are indispensable as location factors for a vibrant city and require qualified and talented young people. This is why the owners of the bank established the Berenberg Bank Foundation in 1990 to mark the company's 400th anniversary. The focus is on supporting young and talented artists.
In addition to scholarships, the foundation awards the annual Berenberg Culture Prize to artists or ensembles. The entire spectrum of cultural activities is taken into consideration. The foundation has supported over 170 young artists to date.