"The present is my battlefield..." - is the title of the work with which Weimar composer Jens-Uwe Günther won first place in the University of Oldenburg's Carl von Ossietzky Composition Competition.
His work for mezzo-soprano and ensemble (oboe, bassoon, viola, cello and piano) was honoured by the international jury, headed by Oldenburg composer and university lecturer Prof. Violeta Dinescu, with prize money of 1,000 euros. Second place and 700 euros will go to Andreas Seemer-Koeper from Dortmund for his work "Vier Aufrichtige Ich Lieder" for voice and ensemble. Third-placed C. René Hirschfeld from Berlin will receive 500 euros for his composition "Out of Cage" in two versions: For voice and prepared piano and for voice, oboe and cello. The Young Talent Award, which is endowed with 300 euros, goes to 27-year-old Susanne Hardt from Dresden. She composed the piece "Reductio", a critique in four movements for voice and ensemble. The jury also included seven works in the repertoire of the Carl von Ossietzky Composition Competition and honoured a further seven works with an award. The prize was awarded for compositions for voice and ensemble (oboe, bassoon, viola, cello and piano). The five-member jury received a total of 135 entries from seven countries.
The award ceremony and performance of selected compositions will take place on Friday, 10 June 2016, 6 p.m., in the university auditorium (Haarentor campus, building A11, Ammerländer Heerstraße 69). The university awards the Carl von Ossietzky Composition Prize annually in memory of its namesake. This year's competition is for guitar.