Aya Yoshida Has Won the 2019 Zemlinsky Prize for DOUBLE FACE

Aya Yoshida has won The Zemlinsky Prize, one of the world's richest competitions for orchestral composition.

The Zemlinsky Prize, an international initiative of the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), exists to promote and encourage the development of young composers

In a new development, the Prize, long an influential force in the creation of new orchestral works, is set to introduce an additional competition for the composition of chamber music

Aya Yoshida, a 27-year-old Japanese composer based in Amsterdam, has won the 2019 Zemlinsky Prize for her ten-minute piece, DOUBLE FACE. The title of her entry is open to interpretation, but like many of Yoshida's pieces (e.g. Polka dots, Tone on Tone Check, Pointed toe), this work also has a fashion resonance. 'Double face', meaning reverse clothing, is a term commonly used in the rag-trade

The coveted first prize not only awards Yoshida $30,000, but also includes a major new orchestral commission for dance, the world premiere of which will be given by CCM's Philharmonia Orchestra and Ballet in December 2020. There will also be a commercially produced recording of the 15-minute piece by the CCM Philharmonia

As something of a 'cherry on top' for Yoshida, CCM Philharmonia was so impressed with her entry that it will also present the US premiere of DOUBLE FACE in 2021. The Danish National Symphony Orchestra originally premiered the work in 2016

Second prize of $20,000 went to Tomasz Skweres, 34, a Polish composer living in Vienna, for his piece über das farbige Licht der Doppelsterne... Third prize of $10,000 was awarded to 24-year-old Joel Jäventausta, a Finnish composer based in London, for his piece, Cantus

More than 200 compositions were submitted for consideration before five finalists were shortlisted in September by an international panel of leading composers: Colin Matthews (London), Missy Mazzoli (New York/Chicago), Iris Ter Schiphorst (Vienna), and Carl Vine (Sydney). The shortlisted works were then submitted anonymously to a final judging panel, which included the Dean of CCM, Stanley E. Romanstein, and CCM Philharmonia Conductor, Mark Gibson

Missy Mazzoli said Yoshida's winning entry "showed true originality, combined with skillful orchestration and a well-balanced approach to form...This daring work really communicated a mini-world of fantastic orchestral colors." Carl Vine praised it "as redolent with intriguing musical gestures and textures." Colin Matthews said, "Aya Yoshida's piece came out on top from a very impressive line-up" and noted "it was good to see the unanimity of choice between a panel of composers all with very different stylistic personalities."

Expressing her gratitude, Aya Yoshida said: "After my opera in 2017, I have been somehow dreaming of composing for ballet in my 20s or 30s, so I am thankful, humble, surprised and really happy to have the opportunity. Music is a collection of movements; the texture of the sound itself and also the physical gestures of the musicians. I am looking forward to exploring the connections between ballet and music in my new piece for CCM Philharmonia Orchestra."

The Zemlinsky Prize, instituted in 1990 and awarded every six or seven years, promotes the music of young composers from around the world, while honoring Alexander Zemlinsky (1871 - 1942), a composer who is becoming increasingly recognized as among the 20th century's significant musical voices. Previous winners include Ulrich Kreppein, Nerong Prangcharoen, and Moritz Eggert

The Prize is set to undergo a significant change with the establishment of a second prestigious competition for the composition of chamber music. The first Zemlinsky Prize for Chamber Music will be awarded in 2022 and will then run in alternation with the Orchestral Prize, ensuring there will be a Zemlinsky Prize every three or four years. Full details of the application process will be available in early 2020

In a further extension the Prize's reach, all four of the esteemed 2019 international judges, Colin Matthews, Missy Mazzoli, Iris Ter Schiphorst, and Carl Vine, have accepted invitations to complete separate residencies at CCM in 2020, taking part in a range of activities that will benefit students and other composers

www.zemlinskyprize.org