The beating heart of Gaudeamus is the prestigious Gaudeamus Award: our annual encouragement prize for young composers. Four composers compete for this highly coveted prize, and their music is featured throughout various concerts. Especially for the festival, they have composed brand-new pieces, including Memory Town by Jenny Beck for ensemble VONK. A constant theme in Jenny Beck's work is her deep interest in nature, meditation, ambiguity, and intimacy. Her new piece is based on a text by the elusive poet Anne Carson.