Composer/Pianist Timo Andres Awarded CMS's Elise L. Stoeger Prize

Browse by:
Year
Browse by:
Publish date (field_publish_date)
Submitted by nonesuch on
Article Type
Publish date
Excerpt

Congratulations to composer and pianist Timo Andres on receiving the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center's Elise L. Stoeger Prize—a $25,000 cash prize, awarded biennially by CMS to recognize significant contributions to the field of chamber music composition. Andres says: “I feel equally challenged and freed to take risks when I write chamber music, and writing it, I’ve learned the most about becoming a better composer and musician. To be recognized in this medium by one of its greatest institutional standard-bearers is a huge and unexpected honor.”

Copy

Congratulations to composer and pianist Timo Andres on receiving the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (CMS)'s Elise L. Stoeger Prize. The Stoeger Prize is a $25,000 cash prize, awarded biennially by CMS to recognize significant contributions to the field of chamber music composition.

“We are delighted with our judges’ choice of Timo Andres as winner of the 2025 Stoeger Prize,” said CMS Artistic Directors David Finckel and Wu Han. “His chamber music is highly regarded among both prominent musicians and presenters who have found his works engaging, skillfully composed for the instruments, and attractive for today’s listeners. We offer our congratulations to Timo and hope that this prize not only will reinforce his dedication to chamber music, but also will enable him to travel even further down his high-level artistic path.”

“I grew up hearing the canonical works of chamber music at Norfolk’s summer festival and Music Mountain," said Timo Andres, "and poring over recordings by the Takács Quartet and the Beaux Arts Trio. My favorite pieces by the composers I most admire tend to be their chamber works; these small-to-medium formats can be somehow grand and intimate at the same time, revealing the most specific and sometimes idiosyncratic aspects of their author’s voices. I feel equally challenged and freed to take risks when I write chamber music, and writing it, I’ve learned the most about becoming a better composer and musician. To be recognized in this medium by one of its greatest institutional standard-bearers is a huge and unexpected honor.”

Timo Andres’ latest album, The Blind Banister, released on Nonesuch in March 2024, has been nominated for a GRAMMY Award for Best Engineered Album, Classical. The record comprises three works by the composer/pianist: the piano concerto The Blind Banister (a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2016), with Andres as soloist, and Upstate Obscura for chamber orchestra and cello, with soloist Inbal Segev—both of which feature Metropolis Ensemble and conductor Andrew Cyr—and the solo piano piece Colorful History, also performed by Andres. He received a 2024 Tony Award nomination for his orchestrations and arrangements for Justin Peck’s 2024 production of Sufjan Stevens’s Illinoise, the cast album of which was released on Nonesuch in May.

Timo Andres 2013 Nonesuch album of orchestral works, Home Stretch, has been hailed for its “playful intelligence and individuality,” (Guardian) and of his 2010 debut album for two pianos, Shy and Mighty (performed by himself and duo partner David Kaplan), Alex Ross wrote in the New Yorker that “it achieves an unhurried grandeur that has rarely been felt in American music since John Adams came on the scene … more mighty than shy, [Andres] sounds like himself.”

featuredimage
Timo Andres 2024 by Jason Marck
  • Monday, January 13, 2025
    Composer/Pianist Timo Andres Awarded CMS's Elise L. Stoeger Prize
    Jason Marck

    Congratulations to composer and pianist Timo Andres on receiving the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (CMS)'s Elise L. Stoeger Prize. The Stoeger Prize is a $25,000 cash prize, awarded biennially by CMS to recognize significant contributions to the field of chamber music composition.

    “We are delighted with our judges’ choice of Timo Andres as winner of the 2025 Stoeger Prize,” said CMS Artistic Directors David Finckel and Wu Han. “His chamber music is highly regarded among both prominent musicians and presenters who have found his works engaging, skillfully composed for the instruments, and attractive for today’s listeners. We offer our congratulations to Timo and hope that this prize not only will reinforce his dedication to chamber music, but also will enable him to travel even further down his high-level artistic path.”

    “I grew up hearing the canonical works of chamber music at Norfolk’s summer festival and Music Mountain," said Timo Andres, "and poring over recordings by the Takács Quartet and the Beaux Arts Trio. My favorite pieces by the composers I most admire tend to be their chamber works; these small-to-medium formats can be somehow grand and intimate at the same time, revealing the most specific and sometimes idiosyncratic aspects of their author’s voices. I feel equally challenged and freed to take risks when I write chamber music, and writing it, I’ve learned the most about becoming a better composer and musician. To be recognized in this medium by one of its greatest institutional standard-bearers is a huge and unexpected honor.”

    Timo Andres’ latest album, The Blind Banister, released on Nonesuch in March 2024, has been nominated for a GRAMMY Award for Best Engineered Album, Classical. The record comprises three works by the composer/pianist: the piano concerto The Blind Banister (a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2016), with Andres as soloist, and Upstate Obscura for chamber orchestra and cello, with soloist Inbal Segev—both of which feature Metropolis Ensemble and conductor Andrew Cyr—and the solo piano piece Colorful History, also performed by Andres. He received a 2024 Tony Award nomination for his orchestrations and arrangements for Justin Peck’s 2024 production of Sufjan Stevens’s Illinoise, the cast album of which was released on Nonesuch in May.

    Timo Andres 2013 Nonesuch album of orchestral works, Home Stretch, has been hailed for its “playful intelligence and individuality,” (Guardian) and of his 2010 debut album for two pianos, Shy and Mighty (performed by himself and duo partner David Kaplan), Alex Ross wrote in the New Yorker that “it achieves an unhurried grandeur that has rarely been felt in American music since John Adams came on the scene … more mighty than shy, [Andres] sounds like himself.”

    Journal Articles:Artist News

Enjoy This Post?

Get weekly updates right in your inbox.
terms

X By submitting my information, I agree to receive personalized updates and marketing messages about Nonesuch based on my information, interests, activities, website visits and device data and in accordance with the Privacy Policy. I understand that I can opt-out at any time by emailing privacypolicy@wmg.com.

Thank you!
x

Welcome to Nonesuch's mailing list!

Customize your notifications for tour dates near your hometown, birthday wishes, or special discounts in our online store!
terms

By submitting my information, I agree to receive personalized updates and marketing messages about Nonesuch based on my information, interests, activities, website visits and device data and in accordance with the Privacy Policy. I understand that I can opt-out at any time by emailing privacypolicy@wmg.com.

Related Posts

  • Thursday, February 13, 2025
    Thursday, February 13, 2025

    Emmylou Harris's groundbreaking 1995 album Wrecking Ball will be inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame at a special gala on May 16. Wrecking Ball was produced by Daniel Lanois and won the 1996 GRAMMY Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. "Music has the unique power to shape culture and mark moments in time," said Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason, Jr. "Each inducted recording reflects that spirit, and we’re excited to celebrate these impactful works, ensuring their legacies continue to inspire generations to come."

    Journal Topics: Artist News
  • Thursday, February 13, 2025
    Thursday, February 13, 2025

    Carnegie Hall has announced its 2025–26 concert season, and featured among the performers taking its Zankel Hall stage are Timo Andres, Kronos Quartet, Davóne Tines, and Sō Percussion, all part of Carnegie's United in Sound: America at 250 festival, and heard throughout its halls will be works by Caroline Shaw, Gabriel Kahane, and Steve Reich.

    Journal Topics: Artist NewsOn Tour