Board of Directors
In addition to managing and developing the Foundation’s assets, which consist primarily of the properties granted to the foundation by Mrs. Léonie Sonning when the foundation was established, the Board of Directors is responsible for awarding the yearly Music Prize and a number of Talent Prizes.
The Music Prize is an honorary award granted to an internationally recognised composer, musician, conductor or singer.
The Talent Prizes are awarded to support the continued artistic development of young composers, musicians, conductors or singers.
The board members are appointed for four years – three of them by three of the largest music institutions in the country: the Royal Danish Academy of Music, the Royal Danish Theatre and Danmarks Radio. At their first board meeting, they must elect a lawyer as a fourth member.
The four board members add a further member, a music expert whose main occupation lies outside the public music institutions. An additional member may also be added. The board constitutes itself with a chairman and a vice chairman.
The current board consists of five members with a musical background and one lawyer.
See the Award Policy and the Communication Strategy for a description of the principles and procedures for the awards.
Through the website, social media, and press releases etc., the board ensures that the activities of the Léonie Sonning Music Prize are made available and communicated both nationally and internationally.
Esben Tange (born. 1962)
Member of the board since 2004, most recently re-appointed for a period of four years with effect from 1 October 2020, and chairman of the board since 2012.
Esben Tange holds an MA in musicology and media science. Music critic at the newspaper Berlingske Tidende 1994–1995. Broadcasting journalist and concert host at DR’s P2 radio channel from 1995. Editor from 2007-2021.
Co-founder of the Rued Langgaard Association in 2007 and Rued Langgaard Festival in Ribe in 2010. Artistic leader of the festival since 2011 and festival director from 2022. Esben is a speaker and author and writes articles about classical and modern music with a particular focus on the time around the year 1900.
Esben Tange has also created a number of visual concert performances about the composer Rued Langgaard and related composers.
Other executive positions:
Director of the Rued Langgaard Festival
As Esben Tange has been a member of the board of the Foundation for more than 12 years, he is not an independent board member as defined in the recommendations for good foundation management.
Other executive positions:
Chairman of the following boards: C. L. Davids Fond og Samling, Davista K/S, Davista Komplementarselskab A/S, Oluf Brønnum & Co A/S, Oluf Brønnums Fond, Oluf Brønnum & Co. Holding ApS, Ferd. og Ellen Hindsgauls Almennyttige Fond, Incentive Fonden, CTKM 185 ApS and Davids Holding ApS.
Member of the following boards: Det Danske Institut i Damaskus and Rued Langgaard Selskabet.
As Torsten Hoffmeyer has been a member of the board of the Foundation for more than 12 years, he is not an independent board member as defined in the recommendations for good foundation management.
Torsten Hoffmeyer (Born. 1956)
Torsten Hoffmeyer has been the legal member of the board since 1992 and has most recently been re-appointed for a period of four years with effect from 1 October 2024. He is lawyer and has been partner in the law firm Horten.
Katrine Ganer Skaug (Born. 1971)
Member of the board since 2014 and elected as the fourth member with a musical background, with a career outside the three major public music institutions. Most recently re-appointed for a period of four years with effect from 1 October 2024. Katrine Ganer Skaug has been vice chairman of the board since 1 October 2020.
Katrine Ganer Skaug holds a master in musicology from the University of Oslo with a background as a musician, lecturer and music journalist in i.a. Norwegian National Broadcasting (NRK P2), in addition to working as a musical dramaturg for the free performing arts. She has been responsible program coordinator for a number of festivals with a focus on new music, such as MAGMA 2002 Berlin, the International Church Festival in Kristiansand and Nordic Music Days. From 2003 – 2007, she was Secretary General of the Nordic Composers’ Council and thereby developed a dynamic network between Nordic and international music life.
Katrine Ganer Skaug’s leadership experience includes management of Orkester Norden (2007-2012), Esbjerg Ensemble (2012-2020), Copenhagen Phil and is currently artistic director of Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra and Concert Hall.
Other executive positions:
Artistic director of Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra and Concert Hall. Member of the board of directors of Foreningen Musikhuset København, Artistic Faculty, University of Lund and OPE-N (foreningen Opera Nord).
Katrine Ganer Skaug is not an independent member of the board as defined by the recommendations for good foundation management.
Other executive positions:
Member of the following boards: Dacapo Edition·S, Vera and Carl Johan Michaelsens Legat, Aennchen and Eigil Harbys Fond, Weyse Fonden, Tytte & Lillemor Faurschou’s Mindelegat and Mary & John Hartwig’s Foundation
Helene Gjerris is an independent member of the board as defined by the recommendations for good foundation management.
Helene Gjerris (born 1968)
Helene Gjerris has been appointed for a period of four years by the Royal Danish Academy of Music with effect from 1 October 2024.
Helene Gjerris graduated from the Royal Danish Academy of Music and has had a career as a freelance singer in opera, oratorio, chamber music, cabaret and experimental music and theatre since 1993. She has also taught at the Royal Danish Academy of Music and the Academy of Music of Southern Denmark since 2004 and has been a professor and head of department at both places. Helene was appointed as President of the RDAM in August 2024 with responsibility for the continued education of musicians to the highest international level.
She has a large national and international network both in the music world and in higher artistic education and sits on a number of foundation boards.
Martin Brommann (born 1963)
Martin Brommann has been appointed for a period of four years by the Royal Danish Theatre with effect from 1 October 2024.
Martin Brommann graduated from Hochschule der Künste, Berlin, began his career as a musician playing the oboe and has held positions in Germany (Essen Philharmonie), Sweden, and Denmark. He held a position in the orchestra administration at the Royal Danish Theatre from 2003 to 2013, while also being active as a musician in, among others, the Royal Danish Orchestra.
From 2013 to 2024 Martin Brommann was employed at the Malmö Opera. Until 2018 as the deputy orchestra chief at Malmö Opera and thereinafter as the chief of the Malmö Opera Orchestra with amongst others artistic responsibilities for programming the opera’s concert series and selecting conductors, and since 2020, he has also been responsible for the opera’s choir and repetiteurs.
From 2024 to 2026, Martin Brommann was employed as Music Director at the Royal Danish Theatre with management responsibility for the Royal Danish Orchestra.
As of 1 March 2026, Martin Brommann is Orchestra Manager of the Staatskapelle Berlin.
Martin Brommann is an independent member of the board as defined by the recommendations for good foundation management.
Other executive positions:
Member of the board for Copenhagen Summer Festival and member of the board for Orkesterefterskolen, Holstebro.
Tatjana Kandel is an independent member of the board as defined by the recommendations for good foundation management.
Tatjana Kandel (born. 1961)
Tatjana Kandel has been appointed for a period of four years by the Danish Broadcasting Corporation with effect from 1 October 2024.
Tatjana Kandel was from 1988-2002 director of the Copenhagen Summer Festival and began working at the Danish Broadcasting Corporation as Executive Producer for the Danish National Chamber Orchestra in 1989. In 2007 she was appointed Artistic Leader of the the same orchestra as well as DR Big Band. In 2009 she became Artistic Leader of the Danish National Chamber Orchestra, the Danish National Vocal Ensemble and Concert Choir, and the Danish National Girls’ Choir and choir school. In 2012 she started in a new position as Head of Planning for DR’s Ensembles, with primary responsibility for the DR Symphony Orchestra’s classical concerts.
Tatjana Kandel has an extensive knowledge of classical music and its performers, both nationally and internationally and participates regularly as juror in international competitions.