Lars Ulrik Mortensen has contributed greatly to the development of the Danish baroque music environment. He is the conductor of Concerto Copenhagen, and he is known all over the world as an excellent harpsichord player, chamber musician, and conductor.

Lars Ulrik Mortensen has played with many well-known ensembles such as London Baroque and Collegium Musicum 90. He has been professor in harpsichord and performance practise in Munich. Her returned to Denmark in 1999 and became artistic leader for Concerto Copenhagen. He has also conducted several operas at the Royal Danish Opera such as Kunzen’s “Holger Danske” and Handel’s “Julius Cesar”.

The Léonie Sonning Music Prize is awarded annually to an internationally acknowledged composer, musician, conductor or singer. With the exceptions of Miles Davis and Keith Jarrett, all of the prize-winners up till now have been drawn from the area of classical music. In 2006 the prize is awarded to cellist Yo-Yo Ma, who will receive DKK 500.000. Lars Ulrik Mortensen will receive DKK 600.000 (a perminent rise of DKK 100.000) in June 2007.