Composer of the Year
2019-2020Kenji Sakai
He was born in Osaka (Japan) on 6th August 1977. Studying at Kyoto University of Fine Arts and Music, he respectively studied composition, piano, electronics and analysis at Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris, la Haute Ecole de Musique de Genève and at Ircam. He was a member of France Academy in Madrid for 2012-2013.
Helmut Lachenmann described Kenji Sakai's style as his compositional virtuosity was highly developed in a personal manner in dealing with sound and time, no sterile epigonism, without fear of triviality, but with a lightness and a luminosity and his works are performed by l'Orchestre National de Lyon, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, National Orchestra of Belgium, Ensemble Intercontemporain, Ensemble Contrechamps, Ensemble Itinéraire, Jonathan Nott, Jonathan Stockhammer, Momo Kodama, Tatsuki Narita, Mami Hagiwara and so on.
He gains several awards: Grand Prix in George Enescu International Competition (2007), First Prize in Toru Takemitsu Composition Award (2009), Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne Award (2010), Queen Elisabeth International Grand Prize (2012), Akutagawa Composition Award (2013) and Georges Wildenstein Prize (2013). In July 2012, he is also awarded by Commissioner for Cultural Affairs in Japan.
Recently his activities is not only focused on classical music but also a participation to the tribute album to pop singer, hide (X JAPAN), the appearances on J-MELO (TV), the jury in Music Competition of Japan and so on.
Historic OEK Composer of the Year
| 2019-2020Kenji Sakai | Jupiter HallucinationFirst performed：27 February 2021 (scheduled) |
|---|---|
| 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 |