Information on the Lürsen Prize
Martin J. Lürsen (1893-1952) was a Dutch organist, composer, and music theorist. He taught at the Maatschappij tot Bevordering der Toonkunst in Haarlem, and from 1937 onwards at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague. As a composer, he was an advocate of microtonal approaches to modern music, and composed his Modi antichi musiche nuove of 1945 for Adriaan Fokker’s 31-tone equal-tempered organ (currently housed in the Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ in Amsterdam). Lürsen was the author of the Grondslagen van de muziektheorie (Katwijk aan Zee: Servire B.v., 1944), which among other things deals with scales, tuning systems, and acoustics. He also compiled and published a number practical solfege and ear-training exercises.
The Martin J. Lürsen Foundation was founded in 1983. Its central aim was to award a monetary prize each year to a young music theorist on the basis of a thesis or publication of outstanding quality and rigour. In 2000 the foundation was dissolved, and the endowment was subsequently bequeathed to the VvM. Since then the society has used of the fund to further support young theorists for their written publications and for stimulating early-career activities.
Starting in 2022, the VvM will once again organize the Lürsen Prize, which is awarded to a Bachelor or Master research in the field of music theory or musicology, written by a student at a Dutch or Flemish conservatory or university.
The Martin J. Lürsen Foundation was founded in 1983. Its central aim was to award a monetary prize each year to a young music theorist on the basis of a thesis or publication of outstanding quality and rigour. In 2000 the foundation was dissolved, and the endowment was subsequently bequeathed to the VvM. Since then the society has used of the fund to further support young theorists for their written publications and for stimulating early-career activities.
Starting in 2022, the VvM will once again organize the Lürsen Prize, which is awarded to a Bachelor or Master research in the field of music theory or musicology, written by a student at a Dutch or Flemish conservatory or university.
LIST OF THE WINNERS OF THE LÜRSEN PRIZE
- 2003: Bert Mooiman -- O. Messiaen en de Franse harmonie (Dutch Journal of Music Theory)
- 2005: Kristof Boucquet -- Klee en Schönberg: beweging in tijd en ruimte (Dutch Journal of Music Theory)
- 2008: Jan Christiaens -- Analysis as Mediated Immediacy (Dutch Journal of Music Theory)
- 2013: Steven Vande Moortele (not based on a publication or thesis)
- 2024: Aljoscha Ristow -- From Fundamental Bass Theory to Symmetrical Systems: On the Role of Enharmonicism in the Music of Rameau, Wagner, and Ravel (MMus thesis)
- 2003: Bert Mooiman -- O. Messiaen en de Franse harmonie (Dutch Journal of Music Theory)
- 2005: Kristof Boucquet -- Klee en Schönberg: beweging in tijd en ruimte (Dutch Journal of Music Theory)
- 2008: Jan Christiaens -- Analysis as Mediated Immediacy (Dutch Journal of Music Theory)
- 2013: Steven Vande Moortele (not based on a publication or thesis)
- 2024: Aljoscha Ristow -- From Fundamental Bass Theory to Symmetrical Systems: On the Role of Enharmonicism in the Music of Rameau, Wagner, and Ravel (MMus thesis)
Rules and regulations
1. Criteria and Conditions
(a) The Mart. J. Lürsen Prize, amounting to €500, is awarded to an outstanding graduation thesis in the field of music theory, written by a student graduating from a Dutch or Flemish conservatory in the subject area of Music Theory (Bachelor's or Master's level), or from a Dutch or Flemish university in the subject area of Musicology (Bachelor's or Master's level). In the case of a Musicology thesis, the subject must concern music theory.
(b) The winning thesis must be of outstanding quality in both content and presentation. In the case of a Master's thesis, its quality should be comparable to publications in scholarly journals in the field of music theory. The principal assessment criteria are: originality, depth, structure, language use, the handling of primary and secondary, historical and contemporary sources, the use of (foot)notes where applicable, and the selection, treatment, and presentation of any illustrations.
(c) The winning thesis must be written in either Dutch or English.
(d) A student who has won the prize once is not eligible to win it a second time.
2. Procedure
(a) The Mart. J. Lürsen Prize is awarded at most once every two years.
(b) Students must submit their own thesis for consideration. Nominations by others are not permitted.
(c) The student submits the thesis as a PDF document by email to the secretary of the Dutch-Flemish Society for Music Theory. The student must also include a second PDF document containing a letter addressed to the assessment committee. In this letter, the student may, if necessary, explain the thesis format required by their educational institution.
(d) The Board of the Dutch-Flemish Society for Music Theory appoints the assessment committee and also designates its chair. The assessment committee must meet the following requirements:
(e) The assessment committee evaluates the submitted theses and selects no more than one winner. The committee informs both the Board and all applicants of the outcome. The committee justifies its decision in a jury report.
(f) The submission deadline for theses is 1 October, every other year. Eligible theses are those on which a student graduated during the most recently completed academic year or the academic year preceding it.
(g) If no theses are submitted, or if, in the opinion of the assessment committee, the quality of the submitted theses is insufficient, the prize will not be awarded. This does not affect the submission deadlines for subsequent award cycles.
(h) The Chair of the assessment committee presents the prize during the annual General Members' Meeting of the Dutch-Flemish Society for Music Theory.
(i) Prize winners are invited to present their graduation research publicly at the Society's annual symposium.
3. Timeline
Odd-numbered years:
(a) The Mart. J. Lürsen Prize, amounting to €500, is awarded to an outstanding graduation thesis in the field of music theory, written by a student graduating from a Dutch or Flemish conservatory in the subject area of Music Theory (Bachelor's or Master's level), or from a Dutch or Flemish university in the subject area of Musicology (Bachelor's or Master's level). In the case of a Musicology thesis, the subject must concern music theory.
(b) The winning thesis must be of outstanding quality in both content and presentation. In the case of a Master's thesis, its quality should be comparable to publications in scholarly journals in the field of music theory. The principal assessment criteria are: originality, depth, structure, language use, the handling of primary and secondary, historical and contemporary sources, the use of (foot)notes where applicable, and the selection, treatment, and presentation of any illustrations.
(c) The winning thesis must be written in either Dutch or English.
(d) A student who has won the prize once is not eligible to win it a second time.
2. Procedure
(a) The Mart. J. Lürsen Prize is awarded at most once every two years.
(b) Students must submit their own thesis for consideration. Nominations by others are not permitted.
(c) The student submits the thesis as a PDF document by email to the secretary of the Dutch-Flemish Society for Music Theory. The student must also include a second PDF document containing a letter addressed to the assessment committee. In this letter, the student may, if necessary, explain the thesis format required by their educational institution.
(d) The Board of the Dutch-Flemish Society for Music Theory appoints the assessment committee and also designates its chair. The assessment committee must meet the following requirements:
- The assessment committee consists of five members.
- At least three of the five members must collectively be employed (or have been employed) as music theorists at no fewer than three different institutions. These institutions need not necessarily be Dutch or Flemish.
- The assessment committee may not be identical in two consecutive award cycles; that is, at least one committee member must be replaced every two years.
- One member of the committee must also serve on the Board of the Dutch-Flemish Society for Music Theory.
(e) The assessment committee evaluates the submitted theses and selects no more than one winner. The committee informs both the Board and all applicants of the outcome. The committee justifies its decision in a jury report.
(f) The submission deadline for theses is 1 October, every other year. Eligible theses are those on which a student graduated during the most recently completed academic year or the academic year preceding it.
(g) If no theses are submitted, or if, in the opinion of the assessment committee, the quality of the submitted theses is insufficient, the prize will not be awarded. This does not affect the submission deadlines for subsequent award cycles.
(h) The Chair of the assessment committee presents the prize during the annual General Members' Meeting of the Dutch-Flemish Society for Music Theory.
(i) Prize winners are invited to present their graduation research publicly at the Society's annual symposium.
3. Timeline
Odd-numbered years:
- 1 October: submission deadline
- October: appointment of the assessment committee by the board
- November–December: deliberations by the assessment committee
- January: notification of the results to all participants
- February/March: during the Society's annual symposium:
- announcement and presentation of the Mart. J. Lürsen Prize by the Chair of the assessment committee;
- dissolution of the assessment committee by the board;
- presentation by the prize winner.
For more info on Martin Lürsen, see the website of the Huygens-Fokker Foundation:
http://www.huygens-fokker.org/whoswho/lursen.html
See also: “Lürsen, Martinus Joannes.” Algemene Muziek Encyclopedie. Haarlem: De Haan, 1982.
http://www.huygens-fokker.org/whoswho/lursen.html
See also: “Lürsen, Martinus Joannes.” Algemene Muziek Encyclopedie. Haarlem: De Haan, 1982.