BACKThe 76th Concours de Genève announces Finalists for the 2022 Composition Competition
Three finalists have been selected to participate in the Concours de Genève Composition Final:
- Ármin Cservenák, 26 years old, Hungary, with “Madrigali” for six voices featuring texts by Petrarch, Michelangelo and Scelsi
- Shin Kim, 27 years old, Korea, with “The Song of Oneiroi” for six voices and microphones
- Yuki Nakahashi, 26 years old, Japan, with “Settings” for vocal ensemble
Beat Furrer, President of the Jury states:
“We have selected very different works from a large number of scores that were submitted – on the whole they were of a high level of composition and show an accurate knowledge of vocal possibilities and historical perspectives. Each of these works is characterised by a very specific and personal language which, well beyond the purely artisanal aspect, expresses a creative originality.”
This year, 97 composers applied, which is over 23% more compared to previous editions
Since its creation in 1939, the Concours de Genève’s mission has been to discover, promote and support the best young artists of the moment. True to its history and its unrivalled record of laureates, the Competition seeks well-developed, emotionally expressive artists and creators
The 76th edition is devoted to the Piano and Composition Competitions
The subject of the 2022 Composition Prize is a work for vocal ensemble, composed for six singers: 1 bass, 1 baritone, 1 tenor, 1 mezzo-soprano, 1 soprano, 1 high soprano (mezzo-soprano can be replaced by a counter-tenor). The finalists will be in Geneva from 20 to 26 October 2022 to rehearse and prepare for the Final, which will take place on 26 October 2022 with the Neue VocalSolisten Stuttgart
Biographies of the Finalists
Ármin Cservenák is a Hungarian composer and pianist who lives and works in Graz, Austria, where he is a student of Beat Furrer at the University of the Arts in Graz. Ármin Cservenák is fascinated by the discovery and understanding of dreams and the unconscious as a gateway to a better perception of humanity and oneself. This approach is reflected in his work, particularly in these Madrigali, in which the chosen texts, which speak of misunderstood love, shameful feelings or unreal visions, serve as a medium for the musicality and expression of the composer’s personality.
Shin Kim is a student at the Korea University of the Arts in Seoul, where he is completing a master’s degree with Byungmoo Lee. Prior to that, he studied for a year with Karlheinz Essl at the University of the Arts in Vienna. In his work he distinguishes three major themes: religion, narrative and psychological phenomena, paying great attention to making his music understandable to all audiences. In ‘The Song of Oneiroi’, he tells the story of the dream world – and tells it to himself as the dreamer – using not words but pronunciation systems from various languages and using microphones to amplify, diversify and spatialise his music. And to make it more dreamlike.
Yuki Nakahashi studied at the Tokyo University of the Arts (Geidai) with Ichiro Nodaira before coming to Paris to continue his studies with Stefano Gervasoni, Luis Naón, Yan Maresz and Grégoire Lorieux. He is interested in the infinite possibilities of the voice, from its expression in everyday life to its transcendent nature. For ‘Settings’, some of the eight parts are inspired by J. S. Bach’s cantatas, using texts, structures and compositional techniques. Other texts are related to biblical animals (whales, sparrows, cows, etc.), eventually forming a kind of ‘amplified’ choir, a ‘Cantata’ that is varied by both texts and by musical textures.
Members of the Jury 2022
Beat Furrer, Président (Switzerland-Austria), Hans Abrahamsen (Denmark), Unsuk Chin (South Korea), Stefano Gervasoni (Italy), Isabel Mundry (Germany)
Official prizes
First Prize: CHF 15’000. – / Second Prize: CHF 10’000. – / Third Prize : CHF 5’000.-
Special prizes
Audience Prize: CHF 1’500. – / Young Audience Prize: CHF 1’000. – / Student Prize: CHF 1’000. – / Nicati-De Luze Special Prize: CHF 3’000.-
In addition to the official prizes, the Geneva International Music Competition offers a Prizewinners’ Career Development Programme, providing the support and guidance needed to launch a career. The programme includes two years of management by the Sartory Artists agency, as well as recordings, international tours and a professional training workshop.
