Composer of the Year
2023-2024Shoichi Yabuta
Shoichi Yabuta is one of the most acclaimed Japanese composer of the moment. He has been awarded many prizes: the first prize in the composition category at the 70th Geneva International Music Competition, the grand prize at the Vienna Konzerthaus' 100th Anniversary Composition Competition, the first prize at the SORODHA International Composition Competition 2013, the 2nd prize of the New Note competition in Croatia in 2014, the 2nd Prize at the Japan Music Competition four years in a row (2009-2012). His works have been performed not only in Japan but also in Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, France, Poland, Croatia, Spain, Portugal, the USA, the Philippines and many other countries. Yabuta studied composition at the Tokyo College of Music with Akira Nishimura, Tomiko Kojiba, Reiko Arima, Yutaka Fujiwara and Kunihiko Izuka.
Historic OEK Composer of the Year
| 2023-2024Shoichi Yabuta | TBAFirst performed：7 September 2024 (Scheduled) Performance：Hiroyuki Iwaki Memorial Concert Venue：Ishikawa Ongakudo Concert Hall Conductor：Ryusuke Numajiri |
|---|---|
| 2022-2023Shin-ichiro Ikebe | Symphony No. 11First performed：15 September 2023 Performance：Shin-ichiro Ikebe 80th Birthday Concert Venue：Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall Conductor：Junichi Hirokami Notes：co-commissioned with the Tokyo Opera City Cultural Foundation |
| 2021-2022Toshio Hosokawa | Ceremony for Flute and Orchestra (2022)First performed：1 October 2022 (Japanese Premiere) Performance：The 459th Subscription Concert Venue：Ishikawa Ongakudo Concert Hall Conductor：Nodoka Okisawa Notes：co-commissioned with Tonhalle Orchester Zürich |
| 2020-2021Yoichi Sugiyama | Berceuse (Autoritratto II) for OrchestraFirst performed：17 March 2022 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 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 Conductor：Hubert Soudant |
| 2016-2017Thierry Escaich | Organ Concerto No.3 "Quatre Visages du Temps"First performed：18 July 2017 Performance：The 392nd Subscription Concert Venue：Ishikawa Ongakudo Concert Hall Conductor：Michiyoshi Inoue Organ：Thierry Escaich Notes：co-commissioned with Auditorium-Orchestre national de Lyon and American Guild of Organists |
| 2015-2016Toshi Ichiyanagi | Symphony No.10 —Scenes of Various MemoriesFirst performed：2 June 2016 Performance：The 377th Subscription Concert Venue：Ishikawa Ongakudo Concert Hall Conductor：Kentaro Kawase Award：Otaka Prize (2017) |
| 2014-2015Atsuhiko Gondai | Vice VersaFirst performed：18 July 2015 Performance：The 365th Subscription Concert Venue：Ishikawa Ongakudo Concert Hall Conductor：Michiyoshi Inoue Award：Otaka Prize (2016) |
| 2012-2014Unsuk Chin | Graffiti for large ensembleFirst performed：6 September 2014 (Asian Premiere) Performance：Hiroyuki Iwaki Memorial Concert Venue：Ishikawa Ongakudo Concert Hall Conductor：Kazuki Yamada Notes：co-commissioned with Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, Barbican and Musik Fabrik |
| 2011-2012Misato Mochizuki | 3 Mille mondesFirst performed：8 September 2011 Performance：The 306th Subscription Concert Venue：Ishikawa Ongakudo Concert Hall Conductor：Michiyoshi Inoue |
| 2010-2011Takashi Kako | Vermilion ScapeFirst performed：3 September 2010 Performance：Hiroyuki Iwaki Memorial Concert in Toyama Venue：Toyama Kenmin Kaikan Conductor：Michiyoshi Inoue |
| 2009-2010Roger Boutry | Concerto for Alto and Soprano SaxophonesFirst performed：6 September 2009 Performance：The 266th Subscription Concert Venue：Ishikawa Ongakudo Concert Hall Conductor：Michiyoshi Inoue Saxophone：Nobuya Sugawa |
| 2008-2009Shigeaki Saegusa | Piano Concerto "Philosophy of Squids"First performed：10 September 2008 Performance：The 246th Subscription Concert Venue：Ishikawa Ongakudo Concert Hall, Ishikawa Conductor：Michiyoshi Inoue Piano：Kaori Kimura Narrator：Toshiya Yabuuchi |
| 2007-2008Toshi Ichiyanagi | Symphony No. 7 "Ishikawa Paraphrase" —In memory of Hiroyuki IwakiFirst performed：8 January 2008 Performance：The 234th Subscription Concert Venue：Ishikawa Ongakudo Concert Hall Conductor：Michiyoshi Inoue |
| 2006-2007Tokuhide Niimi | Sinfonia Concertante "Elan Vital"First performed：7 September 2006 Performance：The 206th Subscription Concert Venue：Ishikawa Ongakudo Concert Hall Conductor：Yuzo Toyama Award：Otaka Prize (2007) |
| 2005-2006Yoshio Mamiya | Tableaux pour Orchestre 2005First performed：24 November 2005 Performance：The 191st Subscription Concert Venue：Ishikawa Ongakudo Concert Hall Conductor：Hiroyuki Iwaki |
| 2004-2005Atsuhiko Gondai | 84000×0=0 for Orchestra, Op.88First performed：19 March 2005 Performance：The 178th Subscription Concert Venue：Ishikawa Ongakudo Concert Hall Conductor：Hiroyuki Iwaki |
| 2004-2005Lera Auerbach | Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. 2, Op. 77First performed：21 September 2004 Performance：The 167th Subscription Concert Venue：Ishikawa Ongakudo Concert Hall Conductor：Hiroyuki Iwaki Violin：Akiko Suwanai |
| 2003-2004Toshiro Saruya | AneamnesisFirst performed：19 September 2002 Performance：The 147th Subscription Concert Venue：Ishikawa Ongakudo Concert Hall Conductor：Hiroyuki Iwaki |
| 2002-2003Akira Miyoshi | Three ImagesFirst performed：8 September 2002 Performance：The 126th Subscription Concert Venue：Ishikawa Ongakudo Concert Hall 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 Performance：The 126th Subscription Concert Venue：Ishikawa Ongakudo Concert Hall Conductor：Hiroyuki Iwaki |
| 2000-2001Tetsuji Emura | The Wedge for OrchestraFirst performed：4 September 2000 Performance：Subscription Concert in Niigata Venue：Niigata City Performing Arts Center Conductor：Hiroyuki Iwaki |
| 1999-2000Hikaru Hayashi | THRENUS for OrchestraFirst performed：1 October 1999 Performance：The 85th Subscription Concert Venue：Kanazawa Kanko Kaikan Conductor：Hiroyuki Iwaki |
| 1998-1999Keiko Fujiie | Guitar Concerto No. 2 "Koisucho"First performed：12 March 1999 Performance：The 80th Subscription Concert Venue：Ishikawa Kouseinenkin Kaikan Conductor：Hiroyuki Iwaki Guitar：Kazuhito Yamashita Award：Otaka Prize (2000) |
| 1997-1998Shin-ichiro Ikebe | Les Bois Tristes for OrchestraFirst performed：3 September 1998 Performance：The 75th Subscription Concert Venue：Kanazawa Kanko Kaikan Conductor：Hiroyuki Iwaki Award：Otaka Prize (1999) |
| 1996-1997.4Toshiro Mayuzumi | Passacaglia (unfinished)First performed：31 August 1997 Performance：The 67th Subscription Concert Venue：Kanazawa Kanko Kaikan Conductor：Hiroyuki Iwaki |
| 1995-1996.2Toru Takemitsu | (unfinished) |
| 1993-1995Joji Yuasa | Piano ConcertinoFirst performed：24 September 1994 Performance：The 4th Nagoya Subscription Concert Venue：Aichi Performing Arts Theatre Concert Hall Conductor：Hiroyuki Iwaki Piano：Kaori Kimura |
| 1992-1993Akira Nishimura | Birds HeterophonyFirst performed：19 September 1993 Performance：The 2nd Nagoya Subscription Concert Venue：Aichi Performing Arts Theatre Concert Hall Conductor：Hiroyuki Iwaki |
| 1991-1992Yuzo Toyama | Symphonic IshikawaFirst performed：24 October 1992 Performance：The 7th National Cultural Festival Opening Ceremony Venue：Kanazawa Kanko Kaikan Conductor：Hiroyuki Iwaki |
| 1988-1991Maki Ishii | Fushi (Gestalt des Windes) 2First performed：3 October 1989 Performance：Europalia Arts Festival 1989 Venue：Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels Conductor：Hiroyuki Iwaki Nohkan：Michiko Akao |
| 1988-1991Toshi Ichiyanagi | Chamber Concerto "The Origin" with Solo KotoFirst performed：3 October 1989 Performance：Europalia Arts Festival 1989 Venue：Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels Conductor：Hiroyuki Iwaki Koto：Chieko Fukunaga |