Japan's Yabuta Wins Composition Prize at Geneva Competition

Berlin, Nov. 8 (Jiji Press)--Shoichi Yabuta, a 32-year-old Japanese composer, won the top composition prize at the 2015 Geneva International Music Competition on Sunday. Yabuta became the first Japanese to win any top prize at the Geneva competition since Mami Hagiwara, who won the first prize in the piano division at the 2010 competition. A total of 109 composers participated in the contest with string quartet compositions, and Yabuta was among the four finalists. "I entered the contest with the intention of reviewing my composition career," said Yabuta from Tatsuno, Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan. "I'm happy about and relieved at the outcome." Yabuta, who completed the composition course at Tokyo College of Music Graduate School, won second place in the Music Competition of Japan four times. He also won the top prize in the orchestra category at the Wiener Konzerthaus' composing competition held in 2012 to mark the Austrian concert hall's 100th anniversary. Yabuta said, "From now on, I want to compose Japanese music as well as children's songs" in addition to contemporary music, in which he has so far been specializing. END