The Board of Directors

The Board of Directors of the Music Foundation has two important functions: to choose the prize recipient and to make certain that the Foundation’s fortune is administered in such a way as to increase its size and that it is used in accordance with the instruments of the foundation’s goals.

The fortune is in sound order when it is based on the properties which Leonie Sonning willed to the Music Foundation and property has in the last fifty years been one of the safest areas to invest. The fortune on a daily basis is administered by the Foundation’s attorney and up to now it has been shown that the only risk is the board’s desire to use the money for musical purposes. There have been situations where the expenses in connection with the presentation of the Music Prize, and related concert activities, have given the administrator/attorney grey hair.

On the other hand the instrument of foundation of the Music Foundation also states that board members are appointed in order to use the money on good music. Three of the board members are appointed (for four years) by three of the country’s largest music institutions; the Royal Danish Academy of Music, the Royal Theatre and The Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR). At the first meeting of the board the attorney/secretariat is chosen and is supplemented with a so-called representative for “the free music establishment” (in other words, the non-institutional musical establishment), which is understood as not necessarily representing the whole Danish music establishment. It has often been Tivoli, the largest arranger of classical concerts in Copenhagen, from which this board member has been found.

Board members are naturally expected to have an overview of the international musical establishment in order to be able to suggest relevant award recipients. Furthermore it is necessary that they are constantly aware of young music talents, since each year scholarships are presented to young music students for an equal amount of money that is given to the Music Prize recipient.

Board Members

Steen Frederiksen (b. 1943)

was made a board member of the Music Foundation in 1992 and has functioned as chairman since 2000. He has an M.A. in music and art history from the University of Copenhagen and was subsequently headmaster at the Art History Institute at the Univeristy of Århus, upper secondary teacher at Nørre Gymnasium in Copenhagen and programme staff member and programme editor at The Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR). From 1982 he was deputy manager and two years later channel manager for P2 Music, positions which include responsibility for classical music and jazz broadcasts along with DR’s orchestras and choirs and The Danish Broadcasting Corporation’s Big Band. From 1992-2004 he was chairman for EBU’s ( The European Broadcasting Union) music collaboration.

In addition Steen Frederiksen has published several books including “Between Baroque and Classic”, “From Folk Music to Music Law” and in 2009 “Praise of Music” about Leonie Sonning’s Music Foundation.

Torsten Hoffmeyer (b. 1956)

has been in charge of the Music Foundation’s secretariat since 1992. He has an M.A. in law from 1980 and is authorized to practice before the Danish Supreme Court and is partner in the law firm Horten. As an attorney he is engaged mainly in strategic and legal advice to privately owned, fund owned and stock market quoted companies. In addition to the Music Foundation he is also a board member of several other foundations and companies, among others Davids Foundation and Collection.

Nikolaj Koppel (b.1969)

has been a board member since 2008, selected as representative for “the free music establishment”. Nikolaj Koppel was educated in the soloist class at the Royal Danish Academy of Music and has furthermore studied in London and New York. He has given concerts as a concert pianist in the USA, Germany, Australia and Scandinavia. In addition he has recorded three solo CDs along with Brahm’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and Thomas Dausgaard. He was co-founder of the crossover ensemble Mad Cows Sing and in 2000-2001 he was connected to the newspaper Information as a freelance journalist and from 2001-2004 editorial manager of the magazine Euroman. Nikolaj Koppel has been Tivoli’s Musical Director since 2005.

Bertel Krarup (b. 1947)

has been a board member since 2008. As music theorist and music historian he has taught for years at the Univeristy of Copenhagen and the Funen Academy of Music, where he became an assistant professor in 1980 and rector in 1989. He was a member of the Council of the Arts from 2003-2007 and from 1988-2007 artistic leader of the  Music Harvest Festival. Since 2007 he has been the Rector of the Royal Danish Academy of Music and chairman of the Ministry of Culture’s rectors (KUR). He has contributed to research publications and written articles concerning new and modern music to both professional journals and encyclopaedia.

Michael Schønwandt (b.1953)

has been a member of the board since 1998 selected by the Danish Royal Theatre. Michael Schønwandt was educated in London before becoming conductor of the Danish Royal Theatre in 1979. Since 1981 he has been Collegium Musicum’s artistic director and from 1987-1991 he was chief conductor in Nice and in 1988-2000 for the Danish Broadcasting Corporation’s Symphony Orchestra. From 1992-1998 he was the chief conductor of the Berliner Sinfonie-Orchester and in 2000 he was appointed as musical director of the Royal Theatre.

Michael Schønwandt has conducted the leading orchestras in Europe and in 1987-1988 he conducted at the Wagner Festival in Bayreuth. He has performed a long list of Danish musical works and recorded a noticeable amount of Danish music on CD recordings, including the symphonies of Carl Nielsen.

Esben Tange (b.1962)

has been a member of the board since 2004 selected by the Danish Broadcasting Corporation. Has an M.A. in music and media, specializing in music and symbolism at the beginning of the century. He was a music critic at Berlingske Tidende from 1994-1995 before being employed at the Danish Broadcasting Corporation’s P2 as host and producer. Besides being a radio host, he has also been project manager since 2007 with responsibility for the presentation of classical concert music on the radio. In addition, he is chairman for the Rued Langgaard Society.