Supported by
Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan
Japan International Choral Composition Competition
2024
第10回 日本国際合唱作曲コンクール
The deadline is 23:59 31st March 2024 (GMT)
This year we received 126 great works from 32 countries worldwide.
Announcement of the 9th Japan International Choral Composition Competition Result
Date & Time; Saturday, July 22, 2023, 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: Paweł Łukaszewski (Poland)
PAWEŁ ŁUKASZEWSKI One of the leading representatives of Polish sacred and choral music, he is regarded as the successor of such composers as Henryk Mikołaj Górecki, Krzysztof Penderecki, Arvo Pärt and John Tavener.
Born in Częstochowa in 1968, he is a graduate of the Fryderyk Chopin Music Academy in Warsaw, where he studied the cello (with Andrzej Wróbel, diploma in 1992) and composition (with Marian Borkowski, an honours diploma in 1995). He has been on the faculty of the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music since 1996, holding a Ph.D. in composition and the title of Professor. In 2016 he was elected Vice-Rector. He worked as a visiting professor in Chile and Argentina (2003, 2006).
His distinctions include First Prize at the Warsaw Music Academy Competition (1994), and Second Prizes at the 2nd Young Composers’ Forum in Kraków (1994), the 5th Adam Didur Competition in Sanok (1996), the 27th International ‘Florilege Vocal de Tours’ Competition in France (1998). Also, he has received numerous awards for his compositions and recordings. His works have been performed at over 100 festivals in Poland and abroad.
He has served as the Director of the International Festival ‘Laboratory of Contemporary Music’ (since 1995) and as President of the Musica Sacra Association (since 2000). He is a member of the ZAiKS Association of Authors and Composers, the Presidium of the Council of the Phonographic Academy and of the artistic council of the Gaude Mater International Festival of Sacred Music in Częstochowa. He has sat on the juries of the composers’ competitions in Arezzo, Moscow, and Bucharest. He is Artistic Director and Conductor of the ‘Musica Sacra’ Choir of the Warsaw-Praga Cathedral and of the Musica Sacra Edition.
In recent years Paweł Łukaszewski’s music has gained a high recognition in Britain. His works have been performed (and some premiered) by such renowned choral ensembles as The Holst Singers, BBC Singers, Trinity College Choir, Tenebrae, Britten Sinfonia and Polyphony under the direction of prominent conductors Stephen Layton and Nigel Short. Two CDs devoted exclusively to his music have been released by Hyperion.
Andrea Angelini (Italy)
Born in Bologna, Italy, Andrea Angelini mastered piano and choral music at Rimini and Ferrara Conservatoires. He earned a Choral Conducting and Composition Master’s at Cesena Conservatoire. Studied Renaissance Choral Music in England and Rome. He leads Musica Ficta Vocal Ensemble as Artistic Director. Conducted Carla Amori choir extensively and guest-conducted major ensembles. Juror at International Choir Competitions and International Composing Competitions. Conducts choral workshops globally. Artistic Director of choral competitions: Rimini, Claudio Monteverdi, Liviu Borlan. Former Editor of the International Choral Bulletin (IFCM), now edits DIRIGO for Italian Choral Conductors. AERCO President. Teaches Choir Conducting at Castelfranco Veneto Conservatoire of Music.
Cristian Grases (Venezuela/ The United States)
Cristian Grases joined the USC Thornton faculty in the Fall 2010 semester and is currently a professor of choral music, conductor of the USC Thornton Concert Choir, and Vice-Dean for the Classical Division. Born in Venezuela, he earned degrees from the Simón Bolívar University (MM) in Caracas, Venezuela, and the University of Miami (DMA). Dr. Grases has participated in numerous festivals, workshops, and events as a guest conductor, clinician, adjudicator, and conducting pedagogue in North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. He has also presented sessions in the World Choral Symposia in Denmark, Argentina, and South Korea. Additionally, he has presented at several ACDA regional and national conventions and conducted the National Latin American Honor Choir at the Salt Lake City ACDA National Convention. He is an award-winning conductor and composer, and has been commissioned to write for several prestigious organizations such as the Piedmont Children’s Chorus, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, the Golden Bridge Choir, the ORA Singers, and the Los Angeles Master Chorale, to name just a few. In 2013 Dr. Grases started a new Choral Series entitled “The Choral Music of Latin America and the Caribbean” published by Gentry Publications as an editorial outlet for Latin American choral repertoire. Dr. Grases was elected into the Board of Directors of the International Federation for Choral Music in 2008 and served as a member of the Executive Board as a Vice-President representing the region of Latin America and the Caribbean until December of 2020.
Damijan Močnik (Slovenia)
Damijan Močnik graduated from Ljubljana Academy of Music in composition and frequently furthered his skills abroad, especially in conducting (also with Eric Ericson). Since 1993, he works as music professor, conductor and artistic leader of music activities in St. Stanislav’s Institution in Ljubljana.
He founded and realized with his colleagues a choral pyramid which remains an important factor of Slovenian and European choral life. He has been conducting since 1986 and received numerous awards on international competitions with his choirs.
He participates in expert and artistic councils of choral events, regularly lectures at courses and expert symposiums and is a juror of choral competitions at home and abroad. Since 2021 he has been a professor of analysis and compositional techniques at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana.
Focus of Močnik’s compositional conception is devoted to choral music, a cappella and vocal-instrumental. He is a winner of numerous Slovenian and international composing competitions. As composer-conductor, he toured Taiwan and, several times, USA, where he performed his compositions with university choirs and lectured on his creating in Seattle at University of Washington, Seattle Pacific University and University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. In the summer of 2016 and 2018, he led an atelier of his and Slovenian music at the international choral festival Choralies in Vaison-la-Romaine, France.
Močnik is currently among the most performed contemporary Slovenian composers abroad. His pieces are regularly performed by professional and the best amateur choirs worldwide. Močnik’s music has been recorded on numerous CDs, also four authorial.
Akane Nakanishi (Japan)
Graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts, Department of Composition. Master’s degree in composition from Goldsmiths, University of London, and Ph.D. in Composition from King’s College Graduate School of Music. Awarded the first prize and the Yasuda Prize in the composition section of the 66th Music Competition of Japan, the Franz Schubert International Music Competition, and many other prizes and awards. As a composer and performer, she has been involved in the study of “words and music,” and as an accompanist for art songs, she has been highly evaluated for, including “Benjamin Britten: A Collection of Songs I” (THE RECORD GEIJUTSU Special Selection), “Benjamin Britten Song Collection II” (THE RECORD GEIJUTSU Special Selection), “Japanese Songs Vol. 1” (THE RECORD GEIJUTSU Semi-Special Selection), “Ralph Vaughan Williams -Along the Field” (Asahi Shimbun, Mainichi Shimbun, Ongaku Gendai recommendation, THE RECORD GEIJUTSU Special Selection), “Home, Sweet Home -A Treasury of English Songs” (THE RECORD GEIJUTSU Special Selection), “The Water is Wide – English Favourites”, CD of her own works “Here’s Another One, Today”, “AKANE NAKANISHI A Collection of Songs – Here, Another Song is Born” (ALCD-7211, recommended by Ongakugendai). In addition, she is also active as a conductor, teacher, adjudicator, lecturer at workshops, and writer, developing a multifaceted view of music culture. In 2005, she was dispatched as a trainee under the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ Overseas Study Program for Upcoming Artists. Currently, Professor at Kobe College School of Music and Kobe College Graduate School of Music.
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
2023
Awarded Works
3rd Prize
Cantate Domino / Víctor Daniel Lozada
2022
Awarded Works
3rd Prize
Nonsense Alphabet
/ Ayu Uchigaki
2021
Awarded Works
3rd Prize
Ave Mundi Domina / Carlos Cordero
2020
Awarded Works
3rd Prize
The Chant of Witches / Daniel Espen
2019
Awarded Works
2018
Awarded Works
3rd Prize
O salutaris Hostia / Simone Campanini
3rd Prize
The Rainbow / Kotaro Watahiki
2017
Awarded Works
1st Prize
Not applicable
3rd Prize
Corde natus/Francisco Carbonell
2016
Awarded Works
2015
Awarded Works
1st Prize
Ave Maria on the Enigmatic Scale/Raffaele de Giacometti
2nd Prize
Tota Pulchra/Matteo Magistrali
3rd Prize
Agnus Dei/Chris Artley
Premiere Performance (Digest)