The Venice Biennale has announced the recipients of the 2026 Lion awards for music, recognising two figures from different generations of experimental music.
The Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement has been awarded to Japanese composer and performer Keiji Haino, while the Silver Lion goes to Canadian composer and organist Sarah Davachi.
The decision was made by the board of La Biennale di Venezia following a recommendation by Caterina Barbieri, director of the Biennale’s music department. The awards ceremony will take place during the 70th International Festival of Contemporary Music, scheduled in Venice from 10 to 24 October 2026.
A pioneer of experimental performance
The Golden Lion recognises the career of Keiji Haino, whose work over more than five decades has explored the boundaries between improvisation, noise, rock, free jazz and electroacoustic music.
Haino’s performances often combine guitar, voice and percussion with electronic instruments and sampling techniques, and occasionally incorporate instruments from folk traditions such as the hurdy-gurdy. Improvisation plays a central role in his artistic approach, with performances shaped by the interaction between sound, performer and space.
Born in Chiba, Japan, in 1952, Haino began his musical career in the early 1970s and later founded the band Fushitsusha. Since then he has released more than 200 recordings and performed internationally both as a solo artist and in numerous collaborations with musicians and visual artists.
During Biennale Musica 2026, he will present the world premiere of a new live performance project. The festival will also screen a documentary on his career directed by Kazuhiro Shirao, shown outside Japan for the first time.
Recognition for an experimental composer
The Silver Lion goes to Sarah Davachi, whose work focuses on the exploration of timbre, duration and listening perception.
Her compositions often unfold over extended durations, highlighting subtle changes in texture, intonation and harmonic structure through the use of acoustic instruments, analogue electronics and the pipe organ. Her practice combines elements of minimalism, historical approaches to tuning and interval relationships, and contemporary electroacoustic production techniques.
Born in Calgary in 1987, Davachi studied philosophy at the University of Calgary, electronic music and recording media at Mills College, and completed a doctorate in musicology at UCLA in 2025. She is currently based in Los Angeles.
Her music has been performed by ensembles and institutions including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the London Contemporary Orchestra, the Southbank Centre, the Barbican, the Elbphilharmonie, MoMA, and the Museo Reina Sofía.
At Biennale Musica 2026, Davachi will present the world premiere of a new work for acoustic ensemble.
A long tradition of Biennale awards
The Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement has previously been awarded to composers such as Pierre Boulez, Sofia Gubaidulina, Steve Reich, George Benjamin, Kaija Saariaho, and Meredith Monk.
The Silver Lion has recognised emerging figures and ensembles across contemporary music, including Raphaël Cendo, Neue Vocalsolisten, Ensemble Modern, and Chuquimamani-Condori.
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