Michel Van Der Aa, one of my favourite ALIVE contemporary composers, has been awarded the University of Louisville's 2013 Grawemeyer Award, in recognition of his multimedia cello work Up-close for cello, string ensemble, electronic soundtrack and film. I got to attend the UK premiere of Up-close at the Barbican and am not surprised at all that this work was chosen. The work is defined by the way the live string ensemble interacts with the old woman in the film, whose actions appear to reflect the solo cellist. The combination of stage drama, music and visual is what Van Der Aa does best.
The award is one of the world's most lucrative prizes amounting to $100,000.
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