Composer Sebastian Hilli won the Gaudeamus Award 2018 on Sunday 9 September at the end of the Gaudeamus Muziekweek 2018. 

Gaudeamus director Henk Heuvelmans gave the prestigious incentive prize for young music pioneers to Hilli. Hilli joins the ranks of lauded earlier winners including Peter Schat, Michel van der Aa and Louis Andriessen.

The jury, which consisted of composers Mayke Nas, Nicole Lizée and Richard Ayres commented on Hilli: “Sebastian Hilli has a very personal aesthetic that is underlying all of his music, and he possesses the technical knowledge and imagination to realize what he is driven to create. His music combines bold structures with a huge variety of subtle sonic detail.” 

336 compositions from 43 countries were submitted this year, out of which six pieces were nominated by the jury.

Since the prize was first awarded in 1957, it has established itself internationally as a highly sought after and renowned award for young music pioneers. Sebastian Hilli is the second Finnish composer to receive the Gaudeamus International Composers Award, following Sampo Haapamäki in 2004.