Riikka Talvitie receives the first International Prize for Artistic Research in Music
The prize amount is 1000 euros. Talvitie’s doctoral degree was completed at the Sibelius Academy, Uniarts Helsinki in 2023.
Riikka Talvitie’s doctoral project in composition, Muuttuva säveltäjä: kohti dialogisia käytäntöjä [The Composer in Flux: Towards a Dialogic Practice], wins the first ever awarded International Prize for Artistic Research in Music. The panel praised the depth and breadth with which Talvitie integrated research and composition, commenting:
What makes this project exemplary is the presented dialogue between artistic practice and discursive reflection. Talvitie’s research questions form not only the backbone of her dissertation but also flow organically into (or emerge from) the artistic work, equally in verbal and discursive ways. One finds a mixture and juxtaposition of sounds, images, performance, poetry, and reflections. In this way, Talvitie demonstrates how the boundary between reflection and creation can become blurred in artistic research, which on the one hand may create ambiguity, but on the other hand also encourages reflection on the possible role of artists in today’s society.
A commendation goes to Vittoria Ecclesia with her doctoral project Practice Beyond Boundaries: Enhancing Musicianship through Historical Clarinet Affordances (completed at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, 2024).
Information about Talvitie’s and Ecclesia’s projects, and three other nominated projects can be found on the Prize website.
A new showcase to highlight artistic research in music
The International Prize for Artistic Research in Music is founded by Professor Mieko Kanno at the Sibelius Academy, Uniarts Helsinki. It runs biennially in association with the consortium involved in the Doctors in Performance Festival Conference.
“I want the Prize to highlight the rigour, originality, and profound impact of musicians’ creative endeavours, bringing overdue recognition to their practice as research. Seeing examples is a key to understanding the disciplinary landscape. This prize promotes excellent work in Artistic Research in Music to the public, and shares benchmark practices amongst the institutions engaged in it. I also wanted to create a place where the academic community can see clearly what kind of expectations we have about Artistic Research at the individual institutions”, Kanno says.
Riikka Talvitie will give a special presentation as the 2025 Prize Recipient at the Doctors in Performance Festival Conference on 5th September 2025.
More information
Mieko Kanno
Professor of Artistic Research in Music Performance
Sibelius Academy, Uniarts Helsinki