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Supported by
Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan

Japan International Choral Composition Competition
2025

第10回 日本国際合唱作曲コンクール

The deadline is 23:59 31st March 2025 (GMT)

Thank you for the big number of applications this year as well.
This year we received 130 great works from 35 countries worldwide.

Announcement of the 10th Japan International Choral Composition Competition Result
Date & Time; Saturday, June 29, 2024, at 10:00 am (EDT), 4:00 pm (CEST),11:00 pm(JST)
Venue; on our YouTube channel: International Choral Organization of Tokyo
In addition to the announcement of winners, we will also announce names of applicants who will receive ‘honorable mentions’.

FEE PAYMENT (Paypal)

Gorgeous International Jury panel!

We have managed to gather world renowned top-class choral composers as the jury panel of this competition, supported by the Artistic Committee. The Jury panel will evaluate your work to the full extent of their knowledge and experience.

Chief Jury: John August Pamintuan (Philippines)

John August Pamintuan is a renowned Philippine conductor, composer, singer, clinician, and adjudicator. Since 2007, John is recognized by the American Federation of Musicians as an artist of sustained international acclaim.

As a conductor he has given workshops, performed in concerts, and won in competitions in Asia, Europe, and North America. As a singer, he has sung in solo recitals at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, and Moscow Glinka Hall. As a composer, John was awarded the composition prize in Tours (France), Tokyo (Japan) and has written around 450 pieces which have been performed by choirs from 30 countries.

In the last couple of years, John has been invited in the jury of international choir competitions in Hoi An, Cincinnati, Rimini and Cattolica Italy, Singapore, Penang, Hongkong, Taiwan, Chiang Mai and Bangkok Thailand, Jakarta and Manado Indonesia, Riga Latvia, and the cities of Takarazuka, Kobe, Karuizawa, and Tokyo in Japan. He is also a member of the panel of adjudicators for composition contests in Croatia (2011, 2012, 2014), International Federation for Choral Music (2013), Arezzo Italy (2020, 2021) and International Choral Composition Competition Japan (2015, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022).

Towards creating cross cultural ties and strengthening friendship and cooperation, John August Pamintuan has also organized many musical exchanges among conductors and choirs of Asian countries. He is the Artistic Director of the Asian Choral Masters, and also an honorary member of the Choral Directors Associations of Japan and Italy.

Ivo Antognini (Switzerland)

Ivo Antognini is a composer who has dedicated his career mainly to the  composition of choral music. His works are performed worldwide by choirs of all  levels. In 2023, the Trinity College Choir of Cambridge, conducted by Stephen  Layton, released an entire CD featuring his compositions. Ivo Antognini has  received numerous international awards, including the 2020 Raymond W. Brock  Memorial Commission and the Swiss Music Prize 2024. He regularly serves as a  jury member in national and international choral and composition competitions  and has been presenting his music in Switzerland, Italy, Hungary, Slovenia, Ireland,  Scotland, Greece, Bulgaria, United States, Japan and Taiwan. His choral pieces are  published by Alliance Music Pub., Walton Music, Hal Leonard, Edition ICOT, Edition  Peters, ECS Publishing, G. Schirmer, Colla Voce, Boosey & Hawkes, Carus-Verlag 

and others. Ivo Antognini teaches ear training and piano at the Conservatorio della  Svizzera Italiana in Lugano (Switzerland).

Rihards Dubra (Latvia)

Rihards Dubra was born on February 28th, 1964 in Riga. He studied  music first in Jurmala School of Music, after that at the Emils Darzins College  of Music. In 1989, he graduated from the Latvian Music Academy  composition class under Adolfs Skulte (as an elective he learned symphonic  conducting), and in 1996 earned his Master’s degree at the Latvian Academy  of Music under Juris Karlsons. In 1985 he began to teach harmony and  composition at the Jurmala School of Music, where he was working until  November of 2015. Since September of 2016 Dubra is a teacher of composition  and music theory at Ventspils Music College. His other sphere of work is  involved with the organ and liturgy. Rihards Dubra was the organist at the  Riga Our Lady of Suffering Church, and for now is the voluntary cantor of the  Riga St. Mary Magdalene Church. From 1993 to 2005 he was a member of the  vocal group Schola Cantorum Riga. As the side line over the last fifteen years  Rihards Dubra regularly takes part in international choral and composition  competition juries in various European and Asian countries.

André J. Thomas(The United States)

ANDRÉ J. THOMAS is an associated artist with the London Symphony Orchestra.  Thomas is an Emeritus Professor of Music at Florida State University. He was visiting  Professor of Choral Conducting at Yale University from 2020-2022. He previously  served as a faculty member at the University of Texas, Austin. 

He is a highly respected guest conductor, leading numerous prestigious orchestras and  choirs worldwide, a testament to his extensive experience and reputation in the field. 

Thomas has excelled as a conductor and distinguished himself as a composer/arranger,  enriching the choral music repertoire with his creative contributions. Hinshaw Music and  Gentry Company, Mark Foster Music Company, Fitzsimons Company, Lawson Gould,  Earthsong, Choristers Guild, and Heritage Music Company publish his compositions and  arrangements. 

Dr. Thomas has produced two instructional videos. 

His book “Way Over in Beulah Lan’…Understanding and Performing the Negro  Spiritual” has quickly become a significant source in this area of study.  

In March 2017, ACDA presented Thomas with its highest honor, the  Robert Shaw Award and Yale University School of Music presented Thomas with the  Samuel Simons Sanford Medal. It is the most prestigious honor conferred by the Yale  School of Music.  

He is a Past National President of ACDA.

Toyotaka Tsuchida(Japan)

Born in 1981 in Tokyo, Japan. Graduated from Toho Gakuen College Music Department, College Diploma Course. Received the 21st Asahi Composition Award for Chorus.

He has composed many choral works commissioned by well-known choirs such as The Philharmonic Chorus of Tokyo, Mixed Choir “Ai” , and the Batavia Madrigal Singers. He was in charge of production of the set piece “Kanata no Knock” for High School Division of the 88th NHK All-Japan School Choir Competition and the set piece “Ave Maria” for Youth Choir category of the 3rd Tokyo International Choir Competition.

He has also served as a judge for competitions such as the

NHK All-Japan School Choir Competition and JCA choral competition. He has studied composition under Masaki NORIKURA and Teruaki SUZUKI, and conducting under late Morihiro OKABE and Ken TAKASEKI, and piano under Iku MIWA.

Winner Prizes

We have prepared awards to the winning composers for this composition competition specialized in choral music. Especially, we trust that the guarantee of publishing and premiere performance in an international choral event would be appealing to composers.

Publishing of the winning piece guaranteed! Also possible for awarded pieces!

The winning piece will be published by Edition ICOT.Following recommendation by the jury, there may be a possibility that works of the 2nd and 3rd prize winners and the honorable mention winners will also be published.

An Extra Prize: becoming the set piece of the 7th Tokyo International Choir Competition (to be held in 2025)

The set piece of Tokyo International Choir Competition will be selected from the award winning works. It means your works will be performed by various international choirs!

World Premiere conducted by Ko Matsushita and globally broadcasted live on internet!

There are multiple choirs which Ko Matsushita is the Artistic Director, and most of them has been awarded prizes including grand-prix in international choral competitions.
The Metropolitan Chorus of Tokyo is a joint choir consisted by these skilled choirs. The awarded pieces will be world premiered by this choir in the Tokyo International Choir Competition. Of course, this will be conducted by Ko Matsushita.
Furthermore, this performance will be globally broadcasted live on internet via YouTube LIVE.

100,000 JPY to the winner!

We award 100,000 JPY for your future composing activities and further studying.

Easy application!

1. Fill the entry form by clicking the paper-plane icon at the top of this page.

2. Send your piece and documents by e-mail to icccjapan-apply@icot.or.jp.

3. Pay the entry fee from the Paypal button at the top of this page.

Please refer to the regulations & FAQ for further detail.

Archives

2024

Awarded Works

1st Prize

Cumulus / Sze Ying Chan

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2nd Prize

Surrexit Christus hodie / Aurélien Hallopeau

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3rd Prize

A Chrysalis Tale / Kai-Young Chan

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2023

Awarded Works

1st Prize

The Tyger / Tatsuya Tanaka

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2nd Prize

The Night was Wide / Simone Campanini

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3rd Prize

Cantate Domino / Víctor Daniel Lozada

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2022

Awarded Works

2nd Prize

PSALM 66
/ Jakub Szafrański
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3rd Prize

Nonsense Alphabet
/ Ayu Uchigaki

2021

Awarded Works

1st Prize
2nd Prize

Jubilate! / Chris O’Hara

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3rd Prize

Ave Mundi Domina / Carlos Cordero

2020

Awarded Works

1st Prize

The Pilgrim Soul / Sebastian Androne-Nakanishi

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2nd Prize
3rd Prize

The Chant of Witches / Daniel Espen

2019

Awarded Works

1st Prize

Salve Regina / Matteo Magistrali

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2nd Prize
3rd Prize

2018

Awarded Works

1st Prize
2nd Prize

Dies irae / Kentaro Shuto

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3rd Prize

O salutaris Hostia / Simone Campanini

3rd Prize

The Rainbow / Kotaro Watahiki

2017

Awarded Works

1st Prize

Not applicable

2nd Prize
3rd Prize

 Corde natus/Francisco Carbonell

2016

Awarded Works

1st Prize
2nd Prize

Ave Maria/Ruben Garcia-Martin

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3rd Prize

Requiem Aeternam/Matthew Lyon Hazzard

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2015

Awarded Works

1st Prize

Ave Maria on the Enigmatic Scale/Raffaele de Giacometti

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2nd Prize

Tota Pulchra/Matteo Magistrali

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3rd Prize

Agnus Dei/Chris Artley

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