Geneva News (1): Composition final
See below for the official news piece for the Composers Final and the first part the Conductors Final on Wednesday. The conductors complete tonight, after which there wil doubtless be another news report ... A full review of both finals will follow on next week, published in both Classical Explorer and Seen & Heard International.
South Korean composer Hanurij Lee (20) tonight [Wednesday 11 November] swept the board at the Composition Competition at the Concours de Genève,
winning First Prize and all six special awards.
Chosen by a distinguished jury chaired by renowned composer Unsuk Chin, Lee won First Prize and CHF 15,000 for his work Stuff #1, which was performed in Geneva’s Victoria Hall by the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande under the baton of Conducting Competition finalis Mats Thiersch.
Hanurij Lee also won special awards presented on the night including the Nicati-de Luze Prize, which includes a commission to compose a new work of between seven and ten minutes for solo instrument or voice; the Basel Sinfonietta Prize, which will see the ensemble perform a work by Lee; and the Primeurs Musicales Prize, which includes a commission to compose a short work for string ensemble for performance at the Primeurs Musicales Festival in autumn 2027. Lee also won the Audience Prize, chosen by public vote, as well as the Young Audience Prize and the Student Prize.
One of the oldest and most prestigious music competitions in the world, the Concours de Genève aims to discover, support and promote exceptional young artists from around the world and is currently celebrating its 80th
edition.
Hanurij Lee, winner of the Concours de Genève Composition Competition 2026, said:
Winning First Prize is an enormous honour, and I am deeply grateful to Unsuk Chin and the jury for their recognition. One of the things that makes the Concours de Genève so special is the opportunity it gives composers to develop their work in such a supportive and collaborative environment. Working
with Mats Thiersch has been a real privilege, and I am grateful for the care and commitment he has brought to working with both me and the orchestra. It has been an unforgettable experience.
Unsuk Chin, Chair of the Jury of the Concours de Genève Composition Competition 2026, said:
Each of the three works we
heard today showed imagination, skill and passion. All were very different in musical style and personality, but outstanding in their own way, making the choice of a winner really challenging. Ultimately, we chose Hanurij Lee because we felt his work represented music for the future: technically brilliant, exceptionally beautiful and capable of bringing colour to any concert programme. He is still so young but already shows remarkable talent and enormous potential.
Rafael Marino Arcaro (36, Brazil) was awarded Second Prize and CHF 10,000 for his work invention in language of child, op.22, and Third Prize and CHF 5,000 was awarded to Sing-Yat Chen (26, Hong Kong) for her piece Shattered sky / remaining land.
The results were decided by an esteemed international jury which included:
Unsuk Chin (Chair), Toshio Hosokawa, Magnus Lindberg, Augusta Read Thomas and
Katharina Rosenberger.
The Concours de Genève offers one of the most comprehensive prize packages of any international music competition, with the commissions
and performance opportunities provided by its special awards offering valuable next steps in the development of these young composers’ careers.
The Composition Competition received a record 188 applications from composers aged 9 to 39, representing 46 countries. The jury selected
three finalists from this field. Entry was open to candidates born after 11 November 1986, who were asked to compose a work lasting between 12 and 16 minutes for a symphony orchestra of at least 40 players, without soloists or electronic systems.
For the first time in the history of the Concours de Genève, the Final Round of the Composition Competition was held in conjunction
with the Conducting Competition, with the three conducting finalists – Gabriel Pernet, Jacobus de Jager and Mats Thiersch – each leading the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande through the works by the three composition finalists. The three conductors now progress
to their own Final Round on Friday 13 November, where they will conduct works by Prokofiev, Strauss and Stravinsky, with the winner announced at an awards ceremony afterwards.
Concours de Genève supports laureates in launching international careers through an ambitious career development programme. This
includes two years of services from the Paris concert agency Sartory Artists, management representation, international concert tours, personal coaching and commissions. One winner also receives the opportunity to record an album with orchestra on the La Dolce
Volta label. Previous laureates include some of the world’s greatest musicians, among them Martha Argerich, Alan Gilbert, Nelson Goerner, Georg Solti, José Van Dam and Tabea Zimmermann.
The Conducting Competition Final Round takes place on Friday 13 November. Audiences worldwide can watch via the Concours de Genève
website and YouTube channel, medici.tv, amadeus.tv, Mezzo TV and The Violin Channel. In Switzerland, coverage is available via RTS – Espace 2 and TV Léman Bleu.
More information on the Concours de Genève can be found on the
Competition's
website.