Geir Johnson received TONO's Mediator Award 2016 on 12/12-16 during a Christmas concert with "Music for a while" at the Parkteateret.

Johnsen receives the award as a mediator, but is also very much a composer himself. And the fact that the jury for TONO's Mediator Award consists of his composer colleagues, he thinks makes the award extra special.

– It's overwhelming. I value this incredibly highly, because it's an award that the entire professional community is behind. You get thanked by your own people, and that's perhaps the greatest thing about this, says Geir Johnson.

The jury's reasoning:
"This year, the jury has gathered around a person who has been a tireless stimulus for Norwegian composers and musicians since the 1980s. Geir Johnson is a cultural entrepreneur who has been involved on many fronts. Not least, he has seen the need for new music to have someone clear a place for it in the established cultural life. His activity can be traced back to the student community in Bergen. In this city, he started the Music Factory festival in the early 80s, and later participated in the establishment of BIT20 Ensemble and Opera Vest.

He has also been music coordinator at Henie Onstad Kunstsenter, president of the National Association of New Music, initiator behind the ensemble Cikada and the establishment of new contemporary music festivals in Trondheim, Harstad and Stavanger. Not least, he was one of the founders of the Ultima festival, and its director for ten years.

Johnson's dissemination of Norwegian music has also manifested itself through articles and lectures nationally and internationally. He has been editor of the magazine Ballade and a regular writer and columnist in Bergens Tidende, NRK P2, Klassekampen, Dagens Næringsliv and Aftenposten. He has published books, and in addition he has his own business as a composer.

Johnson has also helped establish Parkteatret Scene in Oslo, an important arena for the creative music community in the city. In recent years, he has been involved as the initiator and artistic director of Transposition, a Norwegian-Vietnamese music collaboration.

Trying to list all the board positions he has held in cultural institutions, as well as all the times he has been used as an advisor when institutions were being built, would lead too far.

The jury believes that Geir Johnson's work has led to a large amount of Norwegian music being given the conditions to grow, has been realized and has reached a large audience. He is a natural recipient of TONO's Mediator Award.

TONO is proud to be able to award TONO's Mediator Award to Geir Johnson.

The jury for TONO's Mediator Award in 2015 consisted of:

Nils Henrik Asheim (composer)
Therese Birkelund Ulvo (composer)
Marte Heggelund (composer, lyricist)
Arvid Wam Solvang (Composer, lyricist)
Jan Stefan Bengtsson (Music Publisher)
Rita Engedalen Independent (composer, lyricist)

About TONO's Mediator Award:
TONO's Mediator Award was established in 2011 to honor people who work to create increased knowledge, understanding and enthusiasm for music and its creation. The award consists of NOK 50,000 and a diploma designed by designer Rune Mortensen. Previous winners of the Mediator Award are Øyafestivalen in 2011, German record producer Manfred Eicher and his record label ECM in 2011, music publisher Leif Dramstad in 2013 and Tommy Tee in 2014, Kai Robøle in 2015.

For more information:
Janne Sievers, communications advisor at TONO, janne.sievers@tono.no. mobile 957 60,286
Willy Martinsen, communications manager at TONO, willy.martinsen@tono.no, mobile 909 65,254