Venezia Biennale Musica 2026, i Leoni d’oro e d’argento: chi ha vinto

The 2026 edition of the Venezia Biennale Musica marked a significant milestone as it celebrated its seventieth year with a prestigious awards ceremony that set the tone for the festival's artistic direction. Held on October 12th at the historic Ca’ Giustinian, the event recognized two influential figures whose diverse approaches epitomize the evolving landscape of contemporary music.

This year’s Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement was bestowed upon Japanese musician Keiji Haino, whose career defies conventional categorization. Known for his radical engagement with noise as a form of poetic expression, Haino’s work traverses experimental rock, free improvisation, extreme noise, and vocal performance. The award acknowledges his decades-long dedication to pushing sonic boundaries and his impact on successive generations of avant-garde artists.

Described by the festival leadership as a “poet of noise,” Haino’s artistic trajectory embodies the festival’s thematic focus for 2026, titled 'A Child of Sound.' This theme emphasizes a primordial, pre-linguistic relationship with sound, an experience that Haino’s oeuvre profoundly exemplifies. Rather than highlighting a single composition, the lifetime award honors his sustained influence on contemporary musical language.

In parallel, the Silver Lion was awarded to Canadian composer and organist Sarah Davachi, who represents a contrasting yet complementary facet of modern sound exploration. Recognized for her immersive compositions that engage acoustic instruments—most notably the organ—and analog synthesizers, Davachi’s music emphasizes sonic texture and temporal depth over traditional melodic structures.

Davachi’s work resonates particularly well with the unique acoustic environments of Venice, where the festival unfolds amid ornate churches and spaces with irregular reverberations. Her focus on spatialized sound and extended listening experiences aligns with the festival’s commitment to exploring sound beyond conventional frameworks. The Silver Lion acknowledges an artist firmly established yet still actively expanding her creative horizons.

The Biennale Musica 2026, running from October 10th to 24th under the artistic direction of Italian composer Caterina Barbieri, continues to champion innovation within the realm of contemporary music. Barbieri’s own background in electronic minimalism informs the festival’s inclination toward sound research that transcends genre boundaries.

The festival’s theme, 'A Child of Sound,' encapsulates a quest for unmediated listening—an engagement with sound that precedes cultural categorizations. This conceptual lens unites the recognition of Haino’s disruptive noise poetry and Davachi’s contemplative soundscapes, highlighting diverse methodologies that challenge established musical hierarchies.

As the festival progresses, the awarded artists’ contributions suggest a curatorial trajectory that values experimental rigor and sonic exploration. The opening honors signal a broader commitment to fostering creative practices that reimagine the possibilities of sound and listening in contemporary contexts.

Details concerning the full schedule and further programming of the festival are available through the official Biennale Venezia channels. Observers and attendees alike anticipate that the following weeks will continue to unfold the festival’s avant-garde ambitions, making the 70th edition a landmark in the ongoing dialogue between tradition and innovation in music.

This recognition of Keiji Haino and Sarah Davachi not only celebrates individual achievements but also reflects a broader cultural moment embracing the multiplicity of contemporary sound art. Their awards underscore the Biennale Musica’s role as a pivotal platform for the interrogation and expansion of musical frontiers.