Composer of the Year
2020-2021Yoichi Sugiyama
Yoichi Sugiyama (born in 1969 in Tokyo) has studied orchestral conducting with Emilio Pomàrico and Morihiro Okabe as well as composition with Franco Donatoni, Sandro Gorli and Akira Miyoshi.
As a composer, he has received many commissions from Japan and abroad, including the Milano Musica and the Venice Biennale. His major works include “Wall” (2017) for percussionists based on a presidential decree, “Beyond the Border” （XXXX) to protest the war in Iraq, “Tree-Nation” for percussion (2008) for the Sahara Tree Planting Project, “Fragments, Variations, and Reconstructions from <Like a Bereaved Woman>” based on Banshoi, the Israeli national anthem and an ancient Palestinian song, and “Horse” (XXXX) based on a Tibetan folk song, “The Last Interview from Africa“（2013), a quintet dedicated to Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, “Two Poems by Du Fu,” (XXXX) for female voice and chamber music; “Scenes from Childhood“ (XXXX) by Schumann arranged for viola quartet, “Steps” (XXXX) for Shamisen and Strings based on the melody of the Shamans of the Briar Tribe, and “Kuguhi (Swan Song)” (XXXX) for 17-stringed String Orchestra based on the 誄歌 poem.
As a conductor, he has conducted many orchestras, ensembles and operas in Japan and Europe. Major theatrical works in which he has been involved include Prometeo (Nono), Falstaff (Verdi), The Magic Flute (Mozart), Kraanerg (Xenakis), Conversations with Chomsky (Casale), The Master of Go (Melchiorre), The Raven (Toshio Hosokawa), Time in the Air in Flight (Sahni), The Art and Method of Negotiating Wage Increases with Your Boss” (Montalti), “Stolen Words” (Betta).
He is also active as an organizer and producer, and has been involved in the concerts of Yuji Takahashi’s works I “Kagahi” (December, 2018), II “Hannya Haramita” (October, 2019), the opera “The Provocators” by Yoriaki Matsudaira (December, 2018), the “Takemitsu Toru Mini Festival” at the opening of Sakai Performing Arts Center (December 2019), all of which he also acted as a conductor.
As a composer, he received the 13th Keizo Saji Prize and the 2nd Toshi Ichiyanagi Contemporary Prize. As a conductor, he was awarded the 2018 Art Encouragement Prize for New Talent by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, received the Order of the Knight of Sant’Agata of the Republic of San Marino in 2010.
He has been residing in Milan ever since he obtained a scholarship for composition from the Italian Government in 1995. His CD of Donatoni’s orchestral works including “Prom” and “Esa” which he completed in Donatoni’s last years, performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Sugiyama, won the 2015 Amadeus Disc Award.
He teaches at the Claudio Abbado Conservatory in Milan.
Historic OEK Composer of the Year
| 2020-2021Yoichi Sugiyama | TBAFirst performed：17 March 2022 (planned) Performance：The 452nd Subscription Concert Venue：Ishikawa Ongakudo Concert Hall Conductor：Kentaro Kawase |
|---|---|
| 2019-2020Kenji Sakai | Jupiter HallucinationFirst performed：27 February 2021 Performance：The 438th Subscription Concert Venue：Ishikawa Ongakudo Concert Hall Conductor：Kentaro Kawase |
| 2018-2019Miho Hazama | Dom Justo’s FaithFirst performed：25 January 2020 Performance：The 424th Subscription Concert Venue：Ishikawa Ongakudo Concert Hall, Ishikawa Conductor：Maxime Pascal |
| 2017-2018Shin-ichiro Ikebe | Beyond This Wind for OrchestraFirst performed：8 September 2018 Performance：Hiroyuki Iwaki Memorial Concert Venue：Ishikawa Ongakudo Concert Hall, Ishikawa Conductor：Hubert Soudant |
| 2016-2017Thierry Escaich | Organ Concerto No.3 "Quatre Visages du Temps"First performed：18 July 2017 Venue：Ishikawa Ongakudo Concert Hall, Ishikawa Conductor：Michiyoshi Inoue Organ：Thierry Escaich |
| 2015-2016Toshi Ichiyanagi | Symphony No.10 - Scenes of Various MemoriesFirst performed：2 June 2016 Venue：Ishikawa Ongakudo Concert Hall, Ishikawa Conductor：Kentaro Kawase Award：Otaka Prize (2017) |
| 2014-2015Atsuhiko Gondai | Vice VersaFirst performed：18 July 2015 Venue：Ishikawa Ongakudo Concert Hall, Ishikawa Conductor：Michiyoshi Inoue Award：Otaka Prize (2016) |
| 2012-2014Unsuk Chin | Graffiti for large ensembleFirst performed：6 September 2014 Performance：Hiroyuki Iwaki Memorial Concert Venue：Ishikawa Ongakudo Concert Hall, Ishikawa Conductor：Kazuki Yamada |
| 2011-2012Misato Mochizuki | 3 Mille mondesFirst performed：3 September 2011 Venue：Ishikawa Ongakudo Concert Hall, Ishikawa Conductor：Michiyoshi Inoue |
| 2010-2011Takashi Kako | Vermilion ScapeFirst performed：3 September 2010 Venue：Toyama Kenmin Kaikan, Toyama Conductor：Michiyoshi Inoue |
| 2009-2010Roger Boutry | Concerto for Alto and Soprano SaxophonesFirst performed：6 September 2009 Venue：Ishikawa Ongakudo Concert Hall, Ishikawa Conductor：Michiyoshi Inoue Saxophone：Nobuya Sugawa |
| 2008-2009Shigeaki Saegusa | Piano Concerto "Philosophy of Squids"First performed：10 September 2008 Venue：Ishikawa Ongakudo Concert Hall, Ishikawa Conductor：Michiyoshi Inoue Piano：Kaori Kimura |
| 2007-2008Toshi Ichiyanagi | Symphony No.7 "Ishikawa Paraphrase" - In memory of Hiroyuki IwakiFirst performed：8 January 2008 Venue：Ishikawa Ongakudo Concert Hall, Ishikawa Conductor：Michiyoshi Inoue |
| 2006-2007Tokuhide Niimi | Sinfonia Concertante "Elan Vital"First performed：7 September 2006 Venue：Ishikawa Ongakudo Concert Hall, Ishikawa Conductor：Yuzo Toyama Award：Otaka Prize (2007) |
| 2005-2006Yoshio Mamiya | Tableaux pour Orchestre 2005First performed：24 November 2005 Venue：Ishikawa Ongakudo Concert Hall, Ishikawa Conductor：Hiroyuki Iwaki |
| 2004-2005Atsuhiko Gondai | 84000×0=0 for Orchestra, op.88First performed：19 March 2005 Venue：Ishikawa Ongakudo Concert Hall, Ishikawa Conductor：Hiroyuki Iwaki |
| 2004-2005Lera Auerbach | Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No.2, op.77First performed：21 September 2004 Venue：Ishikawa Ongakudo Concert Hall, Ishikawa Conductor：Hiroyuki Iwaki Violin：Akiko Suwanai |
| 2003-2004Toshiro Saruya | AneamnesisFirst performed：19 September 2002 Venue：Ishikawa Ongakudo Concert Hall, Ishikawa Conductor：Hiroyuki Iwaki |
| 2002-2003Akira Miyoshi | Three ImagesFirst performed：8 September 2002 Venue：Ishikawa Ongakudo Concert Hall, Ishikawa Conductor：Hiroyuki Iwaki Piano：Kaori Kimura Chorus：Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa Chorus, OEK Angel Chorus |
| 2001-2002Teizo Matsumura | To the night of GethsemaneFirst performed：8 September 2002 Venue：Ishikawa Ongakudo Concert Hall, Ishikawa Conductor：Hiroyuki Iwaki |
| 2000-2001Tetsuji Emura | The Wedge for OrchestraFirst performed：4 September 2000 Venue：Niigata City Performing Arts Center, Niigata Conductor：Hiroyuki Iwaki |
| 1999-2000Hikaru Hayashi | THRENUS (THRENODY) for OrchestraFirst performed：1 October 1999 Venue：Kanazawa Kanko Kaikan, Ishikawa Conductor：Hiroyuki Iwaki |
| 1998-1999Keiko Fujiie | Guitar Concerto No.2 "Koisucho"First performed：12 March 1999 Venue：Kanazawa Kanko Kaikan, Ishikawa Conductor：Hiroyuki Iwaki Guitar：Kazuhito Yamashita Award：Otaka Prize (2000) |
| 1997-1998Shin-ichiro Ikebe | Les Bois Tristes for OrchestraFirst performed：3 September 1998 Venue：Kanazawa Kanko Kaikan, Ishikawa Conductor：Hiroyuki Iwaki Award：Otaka Prize (1999) |
| 1996-1997.4Toshiro Mayuzumi | Passacaglia (unfinished)First performed：31 August 1997 Venue：Kanazawa Kanko Kaikan, Ishikawa Conductor：Hiroyuki Iwaki |
| 1995-1996.2Toru Takemitsu | (unfinished) |
| 1993-1995Joji Yuasa | Piano ConcertinoFirst performed：24 September 1994 Venue：Aichi Performing Arts Theatre Concert Hall, Aichi Conductor：Hiroyuki Iwaki Piano：Kaori Kimura |
| 1992-1993Akira Nishimura | Birds HeterophonyFirst performed：19 September 1993 Venue：Aichi Performing Arts Theatre Concert Hall, Aichi Conductor：Hiroyuki Iwaki |
| 1991-1992Yuzo Toyama | Symphonic IshikawaFirst performed：24 October 1992 Venue：Kanazawa Kanko Kaikan, Ishikawa Conductor：Hiroyuki Iwaki |
| 1988-1991Maki Ishii | Fushi (Gestalt des Windes) 2First performed：3 October 1989 Venue：Palais des Beaux-Arts, Bruxelles Conductor：Hiroyuki Iwaki Nohkan：Michiko Akao |
| 1988-1991Toshi Ichiyanagi | Chamber Concerto "The Origin" with Solo KotoFirst performed：3 October 1989 Venue：Palais des Beaux-Arts, Bruxelles Conductor：Hiroyuki Iwaki Koto：Chieko Fukunaga |