The nominees for the Nordic Council Music Prize 2017 have been announced. Finland’s nominees are conductor Susanna Mälkki and pianist Iiro Rantala. Åland – an autonomous region of Finland – has its own nominee, mezzo-soprano Jenny Carlstedt.

Established in 1965, the Nordic Council Music Prize is intended to recognise creative and practicing musicians of a high artistic standard. It is worth DKK 350 000 (approximately 47 000 €) and is awarded on alternate years to a musical work by a living composer, and to an artist or a small or large ensemble. The winner is chosen by an adjudication committee that consists of experts from the five Nordic countries. The Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland have submitted nominations since 1997.

Among the previous Finnish winners are Aulis Sallinen (1978), Magnus Lindberg (1988), Leif Segerstam (1999), Kaija Saariaho (2000), Kari Kriikku (2009) and Pekka Kuusisto (2013). Last year the winner was Hans Abrahamsen from Denmark for the song cycle "Let Me Tell You".

The winner will be announced by the Nordic Council in Helsinki on 1 November 2017, along with other Nordic prizes.

See the complete list of the 13 nominees and their descriptions by the prize committee here.

Read our most recent articles on Susanna Mälkki and Iiro Rantala!