Tenso Young Composers Award 2015

Tenso Young Composers Award 2015 for Sebastian Androne

The fourth edition of Tenso’s workshop for young composers, which was organized for the first time in 2010, initially chose five composers from more than 40 applicants from all over Europe. During two sessions in Mechelen in May 2015, the workshop leaders worked with the young composers and heard their scores (short pieces or sketches) performed by Musicatreize. After evaluating the material they brought and the way they worked with the choir, three finalists where chosen to participate in the second round in Marseille in February 2016 : Sebastian Androne, Sofia Borges and Léo Collin. Read more about them.

The workshop was coached by composer/conductor James Wood, composer Leo Samama, conductor Roland Hayrabedian and chamber choir Musicatreize.

The three composers chose their texts from the period 1914-1918, as part of Tenso’s project 14-18 From Poetry to Music.

The jury, consisting of James Wood, Leo Samama, Roland Hayrabedian and Musicatreize, decided to award the commission to the composer who showed the most progress in the workshop sessions, and who may profit most from the coaching and the ideas developed during the sessions. It is with great pleasure that the commission has been awarded to Sebastian Androne. The music he brought to the workshop touched the jury, performers and audience. His choice of lyrics –­ from the diary of British-born queen Marie of Romania – was a real discovery. Androne uses a highly communicative musical language, showing sophistication in both horizontal (melodic) and vertical (harmonic) lines.