Schwäbisch Gmünd honors Rihm
Composer and director of the Lucerne Festival Academy Wolfgang Rihm receives the European Church Music Prize 2017, awarded by the city of Schwäbisch Gmünd in recognition of his "special work in the field of sacred music".
"His use of spiritual texts" combines "word and sound into a convincing unity that always focuses on people, reflects essential questions and is emotionally gripping", according to the citation. Wolfgang Rihm, who is celebrating his 65th birthday this year, will be presented with the award this year by Lord Mayor Richard Arnold as part of the European Church Music Festival (July 13 to August 6) in the Heilig-Kreuz-Münster Schwäbisch Gmünd.
The European Church Music Prize is endowed with 5000 euros. Since 1999, it has honored high-ranking performers and composers for groundbreaking achievements in the field of sacred music. Previous winners include the composers Petr Eben, Sofia Gubaidulina, Klaus Huber, Arvo Pärt, Younghi Pagh-Paan, Krzysztof Penderecki, Dieter Schnebel, Sir John Tavener and Hans Zender.
Other honorees include the conductors Frieder Bernius, Marcus Creed, Eric Ericson, Hans-Christoph Rademann and Helmuth Rilling, the organist Daniel Roth, the chamber singer Peter Schreier, the musicologist, conductor and composer Clytus Gottwald and the Thomanerchor Leipzig. This year marks the 19th time that the Schwäbisch Gmünd European Church Music Prize has been awarded.
