10 young talents honoured for courage, curiosity and a personal musical voice
Driven by a shared passion for music and the courage to make defining choices early in life, ten young musicians receive the Léonie Sonning Music Foundation Talent Prize 2026 and DKK 100,000. They represent a generation that, with curiosity, forges its own paths – both in artistic expression and in the way they create music.
The quality of the future musical landscape depends on the talents emerging right now. Since 1967, the Léonie Sonning Music Foundation has therefore each year selected ten outstanding talents it wishes to support in their continued artistic development.
Unlike many other grants, the prize recipients are selected directly by the Foundation’s board.
Among previous recipients are many of the most prominent names in Danish and international music, including soprano Lise Davidsen, accordionist Bjarke Mogensen, conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen and composer Bent Sørensen.
Esben Tange, Chairman of the Léonie Sonning Music Foundation, states:
“The boldness among this year’s Léonie Sonning Talent Prize recipients is striking. At an early age, they have already made decisive life choices and chosen to follow their passion for music. With curiosity and courage, they pursue their own paths. This applies both to their personal approach to music and, in some cases, to their dual role as instrumentalist and composer. At the Léonie Sonning Music Foundation, we aim to support and encourage these talents in their continued development – for the benefit of each individual and for all of us who listen. ”
An international and diverse field – curiosity, immersion and new perspectives
This year’s recipients represent a wide spectrum of the classical music scene – from soloists and chamber musicians to singers and sound engineers. Several work across genres and forms of expression, thereby contributing to the development and renewal of classical music.
Among the prize recipients are both Danish and international talents based in Denmark, including a Norwegian violist and a Swedish string quartet.
This year’s Talent Prize recipients are:
- Annissa Kali Gybel (b. 2005), violinist
- Antonia Fuglsang (b. 2006), violinist
- Gustav Wenzel Most (b. 1997), tenor
- Isak Birkemose (b. 2001), organist
- Jonas Eliyah Munch-Hansen (b. 1997), sound engineer
- Monbijou Quartet, Swedish string quartet
- Njord Kårason Fossnes (b. 2001), violist and composer
- Ophelia Sangill (b. 1998), guitarist and composer
- Rune Leicht Lund (b. 2003), pianist
- Sebastian Deleurang (b. 2000), trumpeter
The ten prize recipients span widely – both artistically and personally:
What they all share is a strong artistic identity and the desire to explore new paths – whether through new compositional forms, cross-aesthetic projects, or a renewed approach to the classical repertoire.
The Talent Prize is therefore not only a recognition, but also an investment in the future of music – and in the voices that will shape it.