In a moment of cross-cultural recognition, Guo, who is the chairman of the jury of 1573 International Award for Best Composer, recommended Puts submit a piece to the competition organizers. The jury then decided to award Puts with the top prize and invite him to China.

The 1573 International Award for Best Composer was launched last year and the winners so far have been Hugues Dufourt from France and Chen Qigang from China. The jury is entirely composed of musicians, including Chinese conductor Zhang Yi and composer Hao Weiya. The award is part of the International Festival of Poetry & Liquor, which was started by well-known Chinese poet Jidi Majia in 2017.

"This award highlights Puts' ability to blend modern compositional techniques with elements that resonate with wider audiences, bridging a gap between the often abstract world of contemporary music and the traditional appeal of classical forms," says Guo. "For years, I have noticed that the audience feels a distance from contemporary music. It's not their fault. Composers should place more value on melodic clarity and structural elegance, which contrast with the dense, and sometimes obscure nature of much contemporary work."

On Sept 18, Puts will be in Shanghai to accept the award and will attend a concert of his music by the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Yang Yang. He will also give lectures at both the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing.

Puts has chosen three pieces, including his debut opera, Silent Night, which won him the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Music, and a short piece, Virelai, based on a melody written by the 14th-century French composer and poet Guillaume de Machaut.