Sendai International Music Competition
Encyclopedia
The Sendai International Music Competition is a violin
and piano
music competition held in Sendai, Japan
, presented in association with the Sendai International Music Competition Organizing Committee, City of Sendai and the Sendai Cultural Foundation. There is no single winner in the competition; instead, awards are given to the top six contestants in both the violin and piano categories, with first place in each category receiving the highest prize. The competition is international, but most award-winners have been from either Europe or Asia. The first award-winner from outside those continents was Sean Kennard
, who finished fifth in the 2004 competition's piano category. As of 2010 there have been four competitions. For a list of winners of the competition, see; List of Sendai International Music Competition winners.
. It has the stated purpose of "contributing to the development of world musical culture and the promotion of international cultural exchange through the discovery of young talented musicians". It was established in 2001 to commemorate the foundation of Sendai City's 400th anniversary, and was added as a member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions
(WFIMC) since 2005. There have been four competitions held, the most recent being in 2010, with the next scheduled to take place on 25 May to 30 June 2013.
along with a string quartet
or quintet
, then the semi-final and the final, in which all pieces are performed with the Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra. The competition is split into two categories: violin and piano. The number of contestants passing the preliminary rounds is normally around 120 people. Along with the screening auditions, the preliminary stage decides who will qualify for the competition. Initially, a jury panel judges contestants' recordings. Afterwards, there is a screening audition, which is open to the public, at which the contestant will perform a concerto from a predetermined list accompanied by a piano. The competition proper consists of the elimination round, the semi-finals, and the final; the number of contestants who progress from the elimination round to the semi-finals cannot exceed 12 and the contestants passing through to the final cannot exceed six. In the elimination, semi-final, and final stages of the competition the performances are chosen from a predetermined repertoire; the contestants must choose a different piece for each round. The judging panel decides the placing of the prizewinners from first through sixth. The prize money is as follows:
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
and piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
music competition held in Sendai, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, presented in association with the Sendai International Music Competition Organizing Committee, City of Sendai and the Sendai Cultural Foundation. There is no single winner in the competition; instead, awards are given to the top six contestants in both the violin and piano categories, with first place in each category receiving the highest prize. The competition is international, but most award-winners have been from either Europe or Asia. The first award-winner from outside those continents was Sean Kennard
Sean Kennard
- Early years :Sean Kennard was born in San Diego, California to an American father and Japanese mother. He grew up in Hawaii and his family moved to Philadelphia when he began studying at the Curtis Institute of Music, at age 13....
, who finished fifth in the 2004 competition's piano category. As of 2010 there have been four competitions. For a list of winners of the competition, see; List of Sendai International Music Competition winners.
History
The Sendai International Music Competition is held every three years at the Sendai City Youth Cultural Centre in JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It has the stated purpose of "contributing to the development of world musical culture and the promotion of international cultural exchange through the discovery of young talented musicians". It was established in 2001 to commemorate the foundation of Sendai City's 400th anniversary, and was added as a member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions
World Federation of International Music Competitions
The World Federation of International Music Competitions is an organization based in Geneva, Switzerland that maintains a network of the internationally recognized organisations that aim to discover the most promising young talents in classical music through public competition...
(WFIMC) since 2005. There have been four competitions held, the most recent being in 2010, with the next scheduled to take place on 25 May to 30 June 2013.
Format
The competition consists of five stages: preliminary rounds, screening auditions, an elimination round in which the contestants play a concertoConcerto
A concerto is a musical work usually composed in three parts or movements, in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra.The etymology is uncertain, but the word seems to have originated from the conjunction of the two Latin words...
along with a string quartet
String quartet
A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...
or quintet
String quintet
A string quintet is a musical composition for a standard string quartet supplemented by a fifth string instrument, usually a second viola or a second cello , but occasionally a double bass. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who favoured addition of a viola, is considered a pioneer of the form...
, then the semi-final and the final, in which all pieces are performed with the Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra. The competition is split into two categories: violin and piano. The number of contestants passing the preliminary rounds is normally around 120 people. Along with the screening auditions, the preliminary stage decides who will qualify for the competition. Initially, a jury panel judges contestants' recordings. Afterwards, there is a screening audition, which is open to the public, at which the contestant will perform a concerto from a predetermined list accompanied by a piano. The competition proper consists of the elimination round, the semi-finals, and the final; the number of contestants who progress from the elimination round to the semi-finals cannot exceed 12 and the contestants passing through to the final cannot exceed six. In the elimination, semi-final, and final stages of the competition the performances are chosen from a predetermined repertoire; the contestants must choose a different piece for each round. The judging panel decides the placing of the prizewinners from first through sixth. The prize money is as follows:
| Place | Cash prize | Additional prizes |
|---|---|---|
| First | ¥ Japanese yen The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling... 3,000,000 (28,500 USD United States dollar The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies.... ) |
Diploma and Gold Medal |
| Second | ¥ Japanese yen The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling... 2,000,000 (19,000 USD United States dollar The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies.... ) |
Diploma and Silver Medal |
| Third | ¥ Japanese yen The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling... 1,000,000 (9,500 USD United States dollar The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies.... ) |
Diploma and Bronze Medal |
| Fourth | ¥ Japanese yen The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling... 800,000 (7,600 USD United States dollar The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies.... ) |
Diploma |
| Fifth | ¥ Japanese yen The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling... 700,000 (6,700 USD United States dollar The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies.... ) |
Diploma |
| Sixth | ¥ Japanese yen The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling... 600,000 (5,700 USD United States dollar The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies.... ) |
Diploma |