The Finnish composer and conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen has been awarded the 2012 University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award for his Violin Concerto. This four-movement work, chosen from 165 entries, was written for Leila Josefowicz, who gave the work its premiere during Salonen’s last season as music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra in 2009. Salonen commented that ‘I'm deeply, humbly grateful for the Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition to be given to my Violin Concerto. With great pride I join the illustrious list of previous recipients, many of whom have been important influences in my life both musically and personally.’

Watch an excerpt from the Violin Concerto from a performance given by Josefowicz, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and Salonen in February 2011.

The next performances of the Violin Concerto will take place in San Francisco with Josefowicz and Salonen joining the SFSO on December 8, 9 and 10. 

The Grawemeyer Award, worth $100,000 is presented annually and is made in four disciplines: music composition, world order, psychology and education.