Brett Dean’s Cello Concerto has won the 2023 Ivor Novello Award for Best Orchestral Composition. Jointly commissioned by Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Berliner Philharmoniker, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Amsterdam Cello Biennale, and Muziekgebouw aan ​’t IJ, the concerto was written for cellist Alban Gerhardt in 2018.

Gerhardt has continuously championed the work since, giving the world premiere with Sydney Symphony Orchestra and David Robertson, recording it with Berliner Philharmoniker and Sakari Oramo, and most recently performing it with DSO Berlin and Marin Alsop. The piece was praised for its ​“incredibly focused and precise use of instrumental timbre,” and ​“broad range of expressions, from rhythmically driven sections to delicate, refined soundscapes.”