The Lindeman Prize is 200 000 Norwegian kroner and is one of the most prestigious music awards in Norway. 

-Knut Vaage is a distinct character in Norwegian music. He is a prolific and versatile composer with a unique voice. For many years he has had a deep involvement and notable presence in the music community. He is a highly worthy recipient, says Einar Solbu, chairman of The Lindeman Foundation. 

The foundation’s grounds for awarding the prize to Vaage state that “His musical projects succeed in engaging the listener in a direct and immediate way, while at the same time avoiding well-trodden paths. As a part of this approach, Vaage has made considerable space for his work with improvisation. Developing a hybrid acoustic/electronic sound environment is a central theme in Vaage’s compositional activity. The tension between acoustic instruments and electronics has influenced the development of his personal idiom.” 

Vaage has a substantial and diverse output to look back on. It includes vocal works, theatre music, opera, and music for chamber ensembles and orchestras. In addition, Vaage has distinguished himself as a composer of music drama. His first opera, Nokon kjem til å komme, generated considerable interest in Norway and abroad 

Vaage says the following about his work: 

-To the extent that there is any kind of thread running through what I do, then it has to do with retaining my artistic freedom and being allowed to use my entire palette. This probably makes me more of a maximalist than a minimalist. 

Knut Vaage lives in Bergen where he was born, and where he studied music. He has had considerable influence on the classical/art music scene in western Norway, and is a prominent figure in an international context. 

Vaage was nominated for the Nordic Council Music Prize in 2022. 

The Lindeman Prize award ceremony will take place in conjunction with a gala concert at the Norwegian Academy of Music on 18 October.