Supported by
Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan
Japan International Choral Composition Competition
2027
第13回 日本国際合唱作曲コンクール
The deadline is 23:59 31st March 2027 (GMT)
The final results will be announced at 10:00 pm (JST) / 9:00 am (EDT) / 3:00 pm (CEST) on Saturday, June 27th.
Thank you for the big number of applications this year as well.
This year we received 122 great works from 30 countries worldwide.
Japan International Choral Composition Competition 2027
The Prize-Winning Concert
Date:July 23th (Fri.), 2027
It will be broadcasted on our YouTube channel: International Choral Organization of Tokyo
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’.
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: Ambrož Čopi（Slovenia）
Ambrož Čopi is known as a composer, conductor, lecturer, and artistic director of the Aegis Carminis International Youth Choir Festival in Koper. Since the beginning of his teaching career, he has encouraged the creativity of his students in the field of choral music and has become a mentor to the youngest generation of Slovenian composers.
His original compositions, recorded on five CDs, regularly grace stages around the world. Čopi has led numerous Slovenian choirs to exceptional achievements in both national (17 gold plaques) and international competitions (29 first places). He has been awarded several times for outstanding performances and as the best conductor.
He currently conducts the KGBL Chamber Choir and the Ave Chamber Choir, which are among the most prestigious Slovenian choral ensembles.
In 2014, in addition to the prestigious national award, the Prešeren Fund Award, he received the Gallus Plaque, the highest Slovenian award in the field of musical activity.
He is regularly invited as a jury member to choir competitions around the world, actively participates in seminars and master classes in choral music for conductors and composers, and offers his expertise as a lecturer.
Javier Busto（Basque Country）
Javier Busto Sagrado (Hondarribia, Gipuzkoa, 1949) is a Spanish physician and composer, internationally renowned for his choral music.
He graduated in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Valladolid and practiced as a family doctor for 37 years, until his retirement in 2013.
Although largely self-taught in music, he began his studies in choral conducting under the guidance of Maestro Erwin List.
He founded and directed several ensembles, including the Eskifaia Choir (1978–1994), the women’s choir Kanta Cantemus Korua (1995–2007), and Aquam Lauda Korua (2014–2024).
With more than 300 compositions to his credit, his choral works are published and performed across five continents. He has also been invited to serve as a conductor and jury member at festivals in numerous countries.
Reijo Kekkonen（Finland）
Reijo Kekkonen was born in 1961 in Finland. He studied at the Sibelius Academy from 1980 and graduated in 1991 as a music teacher. His major subject at the Academy was the violin. He also has an exam in oboe, piano and singing. He studied composition and music theory under Vladimir Agopov and Tapani Länsiö. Choral conducting Kekkonen has studied under Erkki Pullinen and Matti Hyökki.
Reijo Kekkonen was acting as a music teacher when he was assigned a post in Sulasol (the Finnish Choral Association) in 1988. He was then employed as the musical expert of the association. Between 1990 and 1992 he worked as an editor at the publishing house Fazer Music and came back to Sulasol in 1992 and has been part of the staff ever since.
Reijo Kekkonen has held several positions of trust in various associations in Finland. He has also been a member of the planning committee of the Nordic-Baltic Choral Festival 1996-2008, member of the artistic committee of the Tampere Vocal Music Festival since 1997 and a member of the organizing committee of the Harald Andersén international choral competition at the Sibelius Academy 2001-2018. Kekkonen was a member of the board of the International Federation for Choral Music 2002-2008 and a member of the board of the European Choral Association – Europa Cantat 2009-2018. In 2002-2014 he acted as a “watcher” for the international choral show-case Polyfollia in St.Lô, France. Kekkonen has also been a member in several juries of composition and arranging as well as choral competitions. He has also conducted many workshops on Finnish choral music both in Finland and abroad.
Since his schooldays Reijo Kekkonen has been singing in choirs. He was a professional singer in the Finnish Radio Chamber Choir for 23 years and several years in the Sibelius Academy Vocal Ensemble. He has also conducted choirs (mainly youth and female choirs), but his main domain is singing and composing. As a composer his output is mainly choral and vocal music, but it does include also some chamber music.
Russell L. Robinson（USA)
Dr. Russell L. Robinson is Emeritus Professor and Head of Music Education at the University of Florida where he was there for 32 years. His doctorate in music is from the University of Miami. Dr. Robinson has over 600 published choral pieces and books, has been a conductor and speaker for over 300 conferences and concerts worldwide, and has conducted at Carnegie Hall six times. He is the former President of the Florida Music Educators Association and a Hall of Fame Laureate. Dr. Robinson was the founding faculty advisor for the University of Florida Africa Choir for 12 years before retiring and brought graduate students from Kenyatta University to the United States to conduct the choirs and receive their doctorate before going back to Kenya.
Maki Ueda（Japan）
After attending the Tokyo Metropolitan High School of the Arts, she graduated from the Composition Department of the Faculty of Music at the Tokyo University of the Arts. She completed the Doctoral Program in Musicology at the Graduate School of Music at the same university and holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree.
She won second place in the Composition Division of the 12th Sogakudo Japanese Art Song Competition. She received the 18th Asahi Composition Award (Choral Suite).
Her major works include numerous choral pieces such as “The Meaning of Dreams,” “Requiem,” “Afterward,” “On a Stormy Night,” “Song of Heaven and Earth,” “The Endless Song,” “Far Away,” and “Listening to the Sea.” She has also composed and arranged competition required pieces for the NHK National School Music Competition, including “I Will Protect You,” “Positive Taro—It’s Always a New Beginning,” and “Blue Angel,” and frequently serves as a judge. He organizes the “Let’s Make Flowers Bloom in Our Hearts Choir” and engages in volunteer activities through music, such as providing compositions and performing in disaster-affected areas.
He currently serves as a part-time lecturer at Kunitachi College of Music, Toho Gakuen University, and Tokyo Metropolitan Comprehensive Arts High School.
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 10th Tokyo International Choir Competition (to be held in 2028)
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.
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