The heart of Gaudeamus lies in the Gaudeamus Award, and in 2021, four young composers were nominated for this prestigious encouragement prize. Their music was performed throughout various concerts during Gaudeamus 2021. In this concert, Asko|Schönberg, the leading Dutch ensemble for new music, performed the world premieres of works by Award nominees Gen Tanaka and Annika Socolofsky—the latter being the eventual winner of the Award. Additionally, new music by Saed Haddad was featured, with a prominent performance by the harmonica virtuoso, Hermine Deurloo, known for her impact in the jazz world.