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Tokyo International Viola Competition (TIVC) is the only international competition in Asia-Pacific exclusively for the viola. It was launched in 2009 as a part of Viola Space, a festival for viola founded in 1992 and dedicated to "celebrating the viola, introducing outstanding works and new works for viola, and promoting young artists". Please refer to the press release from April 24. https://fpcj.jp/en/prlisting/tokyo-international-viola-competition/

 

In this year’s edition, which was successfully held from May 26 to June 3 as a part of the 27th Viola Space, there were 83 original entries from 21 different countries/regions. Of these, 32 participated in the week long competition. The week also included gala concerts and open workshops by jury members and other top-class performers, including the President of the Jury, Nobuko Imai and the Vice-president of the Jury, Antoine Tamestit. Ichiro Nodaira, the jury member and the composer of the commissioned work “TRANSFORMATION III on five fragments of J.S.Bach for viola” which was premiered by 8 semi-finalists in the second round, also took part in two gala concerts as a pianist.

 

In the second part of the final round, each of the 4 finalists performed Paul Hindemith’s “Der Schwanendrehrer” with New Japan Philharmonic, one of the leading orchestras in Japan, conducted by Kosuke Tsunoda.

 

Award ceremony was held on June 3 at Ishibashi Memorial Hall, Ueno Gakuen. Luosha Fang from China won the first prize. Sejune Kim (South Korea) and Ziyu Shen (China) shared the second prize. No third prize was awarded.

 

Following is a complete list of prizes and winners.

 

1st prize: Luosha Fang, China

Prize money of JPY1,000,000

 [Special prizes]

・Viola D’amore Prize: A viola d’amore made and donated by Robert Blaszauer, viola maker, Hungary
・Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra Prize: An opportunity to perform in no. 468 subscription concerts in May, 2019
・Appearance at Prizewinners' Concert at Ishibashi Memorial Hall, Ueno Gakuen (Tokyo) on June 3, 2018.
・Appearance at Prizewinners' Gala Concert at Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance THE PHOENIX HALL (Osaka) on June 4, 2018.
・Appearance at Prizewinners' Gala Concert at Munetsugu Hall (Nagoya) on June 6, 2018.
・Appearance at Prizewinners' Gala Concert at PaToNa Hall (Sendai) on June 8, 2018.
・Appearance at Viola Space 2019 and 2020

 

2nd prize: Sejune Kim, South Korea

Prize money of JPY450,000

 [Special prizes]

・Bow Prize: A high-quality carbon bow donated by Nakazen Music, Aichi
・Appearance at Prizewinners' Concert at Ishibashi Memorial Hall, Ueno Gakuen (Tokyo) on June 3, 2018.
・Appearance at Prizewinners' Gala Concert at Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance THE PHOENIX HALL (Osaka) on June 4, 2018.
・Appearance at Prizewinners' Gala Concert at Munetsugu Hall (Nagoya) on June 6, 2018.
・Appearance at Prizewinners' Gala Concert at PaToNa Hall (Sendai) on June 8, 2018.
・Appearance at Viola Space 2019 or 2020

 

2nd prize: Ziyu Shen, China

Prize money of JPY450,000

 [Special prizes]

・Bow Prize: A custom-crafted bow donated by Ritz Iwata, violin maker, the Netherlands
・Appearance at Prizewinners' Concert at Ishibashi Memorial Hall, Ueno Gakuen (Tokyo) on June 3, 2018.
・Appearance at Prizewinners' Gala Concert at Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance THE PHOENIX HALL (Osaka) on June 4, 2018.
・Appearance at Prizewinners' Gala Concert at Munetsugu Hall (Nagoya) on June 6, 2018.
・Appearance at Prizewinners' Gala Concert at PaToNa Hall (Sendai) on June 8, 2018.
・Appearance at Viola Space 2019 or 2020
・Audience Prize: JPY100,000

 

Special prize winners

 

Takehiro Konoe, Japan ＊Finalist

・Suntory Foundation for Arts Prize: JPY100,000
・Bow Prize: A high-quality carbon bow donated by Nakazen Music, Aichi

 

Diyang Mei, China

・Bach Prize: A baroque bow made and donated by Tis Marang, the Netherlands

 

Finally, please take a look at two short interviews with the first prize winner, Luosha Fang, and the president of the jury, Nobuko Imai.

 

 

We express our sincere gratitude for the support and cooperation from all involved, and appreciate your continued interest in our activities.

 

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The 4th Tokyo International Viola Competition

・Organizer
Tokyo International Viola Competition Executive Committee

・Cooperator
Ishibashi Memorial Hall, Ueno Gakuen

・Special Sponsor
NTT Finance Corporation

・Sponsor
NTT Comware Corporation / East Japan Railway Company / Central Nippon Expressway Co., Ltd. / Asahi Kasei Corporation /
Daiwa House Industry Co., Ltd. / The Tokyo Club / Aoyama Music Foundation / Nomura Foundation / The Asahi Shimbun Foundation /
Expo'70 Fund / Rohm Music Foundation

・Special Cooperator
Fuji Television Network, Inc. / Nippon Music Foundation / Ueno Gakuen University / Toho Gakuen School of Music
Supporter
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan / Agency for Cultural Affairs / Taito City / Taito City Board of Education

・Administration
TV Man Union, Inc

For more information, please contact:

Kie Ichimura (kichimura@tvu.co.jp)

Tokyo International Viola Competition Secretariat
c/o TV MAN UNION, Music Division
COSMOS AOYAMA SOUTH
5-53-67 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku
Tokyo 150-0001 JAPAN

Tokyo International Viola Competition official website: http://tivc.jp/eng/

 

Photo credit: Fumiaki Fujimoto
From left to right, top to bottom:
Prizewinners(from left:Shen, Fang, Kim) / Jury + prizewinners / Curtain call at prizewinners’ concert
Final round (Fang) / Final round (Kim) / Final round (Shen)
Gala concert_Kindersinfonie / Gala concet_Sinfonia concertante / Gala concert_Zwei Gesaenge
Workshop_Tamestit / Workshop_Nelson&Frank  / Workshop_Imai