The heart of Gaudeamus lies in the Gaudeamus Award, which recognizes young talent in the field of composition. Four composers were nominated for this prestigious award in 2021, and their music is featured throughout various concerts during the festival. For the occasion, these composers also created brand-new works.

Annika Socolofsky, one of the nominees, was inspired by the word silience, coined by writer John Koenig, which refers to everyday, unnoticed excellence. This term served as the foundation for her piece The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows: silience, a tribute to the resilience she observed in her community following the tragic shooting on March 22, 2021, in Boulder, Colorado. Matthew Ricketts' Lucent is an almost glowing piece inspired by the poetry of Joshua Clover, though it doesn’t directly use the text. The program also features works by Elnaz Seyedi and Johan Svensson.

Program:

• Annika Socolofsky – The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows: silience
• Matthew Ricketts – Lucent
• Pawel Malinowski – (new piece) (in collaboration with Adam Mickiewicz Institute)
• Elnaz Seyedi – Nach Neuen Meeren
• Johan Svensson – double dubbing (firefly song)

Performers:

• Heather Roche – clarinet
• Eva Zöllner – accordion