News Release

34th Yasushi Akutagawa Suntory Award for Music Composition Nominated works announced

Kento Ishikawa	Masashi Kawashima	Koji Yamabe

The Suntory Foundation for the Arts (Directors General: Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi and Shingo Torii) has announced the three works to be nominated for the 34th (2023) Yasushi Akutagawa Suntory Award for Music Composition (previously the Akutagawa Award for Music Composition).

The Yasushi Akutagawa Suntory Award for Music Composition was established by the Suntory Music Foundation (now the Suntory Foundation for the Arts) in April 1990 with the support of the Japan Federation of Composers, and celebrates the achievements of Yasushi Akutagawa (1925-1989), one of the leading Japanese composers of the post-war era. In fond remembrance of the late composer's love of music, his lucid views on music and the passion that he brought to the promotion of music, this composition prize, which was the first of its kind in Japan, is a unique initiative aimed at up-and-coming composers creating orchestral works full of freshness and steeped in potential, with winners selected from among pieces premiered at public concerts. This is a compound award, as composers winning the prize also receive a commission for a new orchestral work, with the first performance held two years thereafter.

In 2019, marked the 50th anniversary of the founding in 1969 of the parent organization of the Suntory Foundation for the Arts, the Torii Music Foundation, and also a change in the name to “the Yasushi Akutagawa Suntory Award for Music Composition,” to make the spirit of the award clearer. At the same time, the prize-money was increased to ¥1,500,000. Going forward we will continue to support the young composers of Japan as they emerge onto a wider stage.

▽Selection process
On Monday, February 26, 2024, the three members of the selection committee, after careful consideration, came to a decision on the three nominated works at the conference room of the foudation. These were chosen from among orchestral pieces created by Japanese composers that were first performed in Japan or abroad during the period from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023, based on the music score and the recording of the first performance.
The three members of the selection committee were Misato Mochizuki, Tokuhide Niimi, Hiroyuki Yamamoto. (In alphabetical order)

▽The 34th Yasushi Akutagawa Suntory Award for Music Composition nominated works

Kento Ishikawa: BRICOLA-JUGEMU (2023)
Premiered “Composition Department Workshop 2023 with Prof. Zsolt Nagy”
by Zsolt Nagy, conductor/Tokyo University of the Arts Student Orchestra
on June 16, 2023
at Tokyo University of the Arts, The 6th Hall 

Masashi Kawashima: e→e IV (2022)
Premiered “Basel Composition Competition, Zweites Wettbewerbskonzert”
by Heil Clemens, conductor/ Sinfonieorchester Basel on February 10, 2023
at DON BOSCO BASEL, PAUL SACHER SAAL 

Koji Yamabe: Underscore (2022)
Premiered “Toru Takemitsu Composition Award 2023”
by Kosuke Tsunoda, conductor/ Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra on May 28, 2023
at Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall

▽Biography

Kento ISHIKAWA
Kento ISHIKAWA was born in 1997 in Tokyo Japan. He is developing creative activities by referring to ideas from social issues and all kinds of non-musical concerns. He has received numerous awards, including the First prize in the composition section of the 91st Japan Music Competition, Meiji Yasuda Prize, Miyoshi Prize (2022), and Mitsubishi Estate Prize (2023). He graduated from department of composition, Tokyo University of the Arts, and completed his postgraduate studies in composition at the Graduate School of Music, Tokyo University of the Arts. 

Masashi KAWASHIMA
Masashi KAWASHIMA was born in Chiba, Japan. From 2001 he studied composition at Osaka University of Music with Motoharu Kawashima. 2005 Bachelor with honours. In 2008 he came to Graz to study composition at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz with Prof Beat Furrer. From 2014 to 2023 he studied with Prof Klaus LANG at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz and graduated in 2022. He has been awarded several international composition competitions and scholarships.

Koji YAMABE
Koji YAMABE was born in Gunma, Japan in 1990. Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music and completed the master's program in composition at the Graduate School of Music. Studied composition under Keiichi Morigaki and Toshiya Watanabe. 2nd prize for Toru Takemitsu Composition Award 2023 [Judge: Jo Kondo]. Selected for the 11th JFC composers award competition. Selected for the 26th Sogakudou Japanese Lied Competition (composition category). A member of The Gunma Music Association, The Japan Federation of Composers Inc.

▽The 34th  Competition of Yasushi Akutagawa Suntory Award for Music Composition
Date/Time：Saturday, August 24, 2024 at 15:00
Venue：Suntory Hall Main Hall
Performers：
Yoichi Sugiyama, Conductor
Tomo Ando, Percussion
New Japan Philharmonic
Open Screening：
Miyuki Shiraishi, MC
Misato Mochizuki, Tokuhide Niimi and Hiroyuki Yamamoto, Jury
Programme：
Yuya Haryu : Percussion Concert (2024)
［World Premiere, Commissioned by Suntory Foundation for the Arts］
The 34th Yasushi Akutagawa Suntory Award for Music Composition
Nominated 3works 

See here for more on the Akutagawa Yasushi Suntory Award for Music Composition
See here about the Suntory Foundation for the Arts