The work, A Sutured World, was written for cellist Nicolas Altstaedt and premiered by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in 2024
Australian composer Liza Lim has won the 2026 Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition for her cello concerto A Sutured World. The award, worth $100,000, will be presented at a ceremony in Louisville, KY, US, on 14 April 2026. It has been presented annually since 1985.
The piece was commissioned for the cellist Nicolas Altstaedt by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (BRSO)/Musica Viva, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam Cello Biennale, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Casa da Música Porto. Altstaedt gave the world premiere with the BRSO in October 2024 as part of the Musica Viva Munich concert series. ‘I love playing this piece more and more,’ said Altstaedt. ‘I believe this will be one of the great cello concertos in the future for our repertoire.’
‘Lim’s work explores themes of unity and healing,’ said the award’s director Matthew Ertz. ‘Lim’s ability to convey these ideas into the cellist’s intricate and virtuosic passages is astounding and deeply moving.’
‘I hope this recognition helps to shine a light on the vital role that music can play in shaping our understanding of the world, and in responding to the urgent challenges we face,’ said Lim. ‘It’s both humbling and inspiring to be counted among such composers as Harrison Birtwistle, Krzysztof Penderecki and Kaija Saariaho, whose work has deeply influenced my own artistic journey.’
Lim is the second Australian (following Brett Dean, who won in 2009) and the sixth woman to receive the Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition.
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