Held for composers born after November 11, 1986, the Concours de Genève’s Composition Edition rewards new works for symphony orchestra composed after March 2024. Available to watch now on The Violin Channel, the composers’ works were performed this week by the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, under the baton of the three finalists of the 2026 Conducting Competition.
20-year-old composer Hanurij Lee from South Korea won first prize and CHF 15,000, plus every special prize, including the Audience, Young Audience, Student’s, Nicati-de Luze, Basel Sinfonietta, and the Primeurs Musicales Prizes. He won for his piece “Stuff #1.”
35-year-old Rafael Marino Arcaro from Brazil won second prize and CHF 10,000, while 24-year-old Sing-Yat Chen from Hong Kong won the third prize and CHF 5,000.
(PC: Anne-laure Lechat)
In addition to the official prizes, laureates benefit from two years of services from the concert agency Sartory Artists, Paris. This includes career management, personal coaching, and commissions, enabling them to take their first steps on the Swiss and international music scenes.
The Composition Prize jury consists of Unsuk Chin (Chair), Toshio Hosokawa, Magnus Lindberg, Augusta Reed Thomas, and Katharina Rosenberger.
Starting on the piano at age 4, Hanurij Lee developed a deep fascination with the works of Alexander Scriabin at age 10, which led him to start composing his own music. He later enrolled at Yewon School, and currently, he is a composition student under the guidance of Professor Bae Dong-jin at the Korea National University of Arts.
He has won the Bartók World Composition Competition(HUN), first place in the Composition category of the JoongAng Music Competition(KOR), and second place in the Changakhoe Competition(KOR). He has also been recognized at several music festivals, such as the Daegu International Contemporary Music Festival(KOR), Ensemble the Bridge Contest(KOR), and the International Divertimento Ensemble Academy(ITA).
His works have been performed by ensembles and performers such as Divertimento Ensemble, Ensemble Flex, Project Ensemble O, pianist József Balog, and Yunchan Lim. In 2023, he held a Portrait Concert at Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul.