Jordi Savall honored with the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize
The Ernst von Siemens Music Prize 2026 goes to the musician Jordi Savall, who taught viola da gamba at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis from 1974 to 1992.
Savall initially studied violoncello in Barcelona until he chose the viola da gamba as his instrument due to his enthusiasm for Renaissance music. He completed his studies in Basel at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, where he would later teach viola da gamba himself. He has been tirelessly committed to early music since the late 1960s. Not only as a performer, but also as a scholar who researched medieval and Renaissance manuscripts, writes the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation. Savall will receive the highly endowed prize of 250,000 euros in 2026 for his life's work.
The Ernst von Siemens Music Prize has been awarded annually since 1973 by the private Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation, which is based in Switzerland. The foundation supports composition commissions, festivals, concerts with premieres and revivals, academies, symposia and the publication of musicological works. In 2026, it will once again increase its funding budget and award a total of 4.3 million euros in funding. At 3.3 million euros, the largest share of the funding will go to contemporary music projects worldwide.
