The 78th Concours de Genève has announced the finalists of its composition competition.
The subject of this year's competition is a work for solo viola and chamber orchestra, running about 15 minutes long and written no earlier than June 2021. Didier Schnorhk, the Competition's Secretary General, said that "the jury chose three works of varied style, demonstrating a good command of writing, a musical and expressive vision and interesting sound design."
This year's finalists are:
- Leo Albisetti, Nouvel Elan
Born in Switzerland in 1997, Albisetti studied at the Haute école de Musique de Genève, completing a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree in mixed composition. He writes mostly for chamber orchestra.
- Caio de Azevedo, Marionettes
The German-based Brazilian composer holds a Master's degree in composition from the Musikhochschule München. He was a resident at the Cité des Arts in Paris. His works have been performed by the MIVOS Quartet, the Ensemble Recherche, and the Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie. Notable pieces include the theater piece Finita (2018) and the three-act ballet Macbeth (2019)
- Sang-Min Ryu, The Past Recpatured
Born in Chuncheon, South Korea, he studied composition, philosophy, mathematics and physics at Hanyang University, obtaining a Bachelor of Science with honors. His compositions draw from, and explore, philosophical themes, and incorporate ideas from Spinoza, Hegel, Bergson and Deleuze.
The finalists will go to Geneva in October 2024, where they can follow the rehearsals of their works leading up to the final round on October 20. Their pieces will be performed by the Orchestre de Chambre de Genève under conductor Pierre Bleuse, with soloists Lise Berthaud, Georgy Kovalev and Adrien La Marca.
They are also invited to take part in a chamber music concert, where one or two of their works will be performed by students of the Haute École de musique de Genève.
The Concours de Genève's composition competition follows in the tradition of the Queen Marie José Prize, and aims to promote the creation and performance of new, high-quality works. It is funded by the Fondation Reine Marie José.
