Founder

The Wihuri Foundation for International Prizes was established in 1953 and the capital was also donated by Mr. Antti Wihuri, the founder of the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation.

Purpose

The purpose of the Wihuri Foundation for International Prizes is to promote and sustain the cultural and economic development of society by international prizes, in particular the Wihuri Sibelius Prize. The Foundation shall accomplish its aims by distributing prizes in recognition of creative work that has specially furthered and developed the cultural and economic progress of mankind. It shall also award the Wihuri Sibelius Prize to prominent composers who have become internationally known and acknowledged. These prizes may be awarded to private individuals or organizations regardless of nationality, religion, race or language.

The prizes range from EUR 30,000 to 100,000, and a prize must be awarded at least every three years.

Administration

The Board of Trustees and the Executive Director are the same as in the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation.



Antti Wihuri and Jean Sibelius, the first Wihuri Sibelius Prize receiver in Ainola, 1953.
Wihuri Sibelius Prize has been awarded to the following composers:

Jean Sibelius, 1953 Finland

Paul Hindemith, 1955 Federal Republic of Germany

Dmitri Shostakovich, 1958 USSR

Igor Stravinsky, 1963 United States of America

Benjamin Britten, 1965 United Kingdom

Erik Bergman, Usko Meriläinen and
Einojuhani Rautavaara jointly, 1965 Finland

Olivier Messiaen, 1971 France

Witold Lutoslawski, 1973 Poland

Joonas Kokkonen, 1973 Finland

Krzysztof Penderecki, 1983 Poland

Aulis Sallinen, 1983 Finland

György Ligeti, 2000 Austria

Magnus Lindberg, 2003 Finland

Per Nørgård, 2006 Denmark

Kaija Saariaho, 2009 Finland

 

 

Wihuri International Prize has been awarded to the following scientists:

Rolf Nevanlinna, 1958 Finland, mathematics

Pentti I. Halonen, Väinö Hovi and Joonas Kokkonen jointly, 1961 Finland, medicine, physics, music

Sir John McMichael, 1968 United Kingdom, medicine

Lars Ahlfors, 1968 United States of America, mathematics

Sir Peter Hirsch, 1971 United Kingdom, metallurgy

Georg Henrik von Wright, 1976 Finland, philosophy

Jaakko Hintikka, 1976 Finland, philosophy

Derrick B. Jelliffe, 1979 United States of America, nutrition

Aldo van Eyck, 1982 Netherlands, architechture

Aksel C. Wiin-Nielsen, 1983 Denmark, meteorology

John Williams Mellor, 1985 United States of America, agricultural economics

Kullervo Kuusela, 1988 Finland, forestry

Kari I. Kivirikko, 1991 Finland, medical biochemistry

Olli V. Lounasmaa, 1994 Finland, technical physics

Niilo O.B. Hallman, 1997 Finland, pediatrics

Barbara Czarniawska, 2003 Sweden, economics

Maritime Counselor Antti Wihuri on his 75th birthday awarding professor Rolf Nevanlinna the first Wihuri International Prize.