Second edition directed by Caterina Barbieri, following the 2025 debut with The Inner Star, an edition that explored the world of cosmic music with a rich line-up including renowned artists such as Actress & Suzanne Ciani, William Basinski, Meredith Monk (Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement), and Chuquimamani-Condori (Silver Lion), delving into sound across electronics, minimalism, early and contemporary music, with performances by Aleksi Perälä, Lucy Railton, Ellen Arkbro, FUJIIIIIIIIIIITA, and special projects by Fontanamix Ensemble and Resonant Vessell. The Japanese composer and performer Keiji Haino, a poet of noise, is awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Biennale Musica 2026 for his pioneering contribution to the languages of improvisation and contemporary experimentation. The Silver Lion is awarded to Canadian composer and organist Sarah Davachi, one of the most compelling and consistent voices in the contemporary music scene, focused on the innovative hybridization of electronic and acoustic languages. Titled A Child of Sound, the seventieth edition of the Biennale Musica draws inspiration from the “child of sound” as a symbol of both revolution and healing, presenting an unprecedented program of world premieres and site-specific works, involving some of the most interesting, innovative, and multifaceted voices in contemporary music—beyond rigid distinctions of genre, era, and style—in line with the curatorial path already undertaken last year. The program includes numerous original commissions and collective works, exploring dynamic and participatory modes of listening.
Featured image: Keiji Haino © Kazuyuki Funaki
