2024 VIOLIN SECTION

The Tokyo MINATO CITY
International Music Competition & Workshop
Overview/Application Guidelines
2024 Violin Section
Application Guidelines

2024
VIOLIN SECTION
2025
CELLO SECTION
2026
PIANO SECTION

Competition Overview

Preliminary round
Hamarikyu Asahi Hall
(Music Hall)
October 16th (Wednesday), 2024, 14:00 start (13:00 doors open)
October 17th (Thursday), 2024, 14:00 start (13:00 doors open)
October 18th (Friday), 2024, 14:00 start (13:00 doors open)
October 19th (Saturday), 2024, 14:00 start (13:00 doors open)
Semi-final
Hamarikyu Asahi Hall
(Music Hall)
October 20th (Sunday), 2024, 11:00 start (10:00 doors open)
October 21st (Monday), 2024, 11:00 start (10:00 doors open)
October 22nd (Tuesday), 2024, 11:00 start (10:00 doors open)
Final
Suntory Hall
(Main Hall)
October 25th (Friday), 2024, 18:30 start (17:45 doors open)
October 26th (Saturday), 2024, 16:00 start (15:15 doors open)
Awards ceremony
Suntory Hall
(Main Hall)
October 26th (Saturday), 2024, 19:50 start (19:40 doors open)
※Start times and door times are tentative.
Organizer
Minato City
Minato City Sports, Community, Culture and Health Foundation( Kiss Port Foundation )
The Tokyo MINATO CITY International Music Competition & Workshop Executive Committee
Special sponsorship
Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group
Daiwa House Industry Co., LTD.
Sponsorship
SUMITOMO MITSUI TRUST CLUB CO., LTD.
BIC CAMERA Inc.
Kiraboshi Bank, Ltd.
MEIDENSHA CORPORATION
ART MOVING COMPANY Co., Ltd.
HASHIMOTO SOGYO HOLDINGS Co., LTD.
THE JIKEI GROUP OF COLLEGES

Organization Overview

The Tokyo MINATO CITY International Music Competition & Workshop Executive Committee
Honorary President Seike Ai Mayor of Minato City
Honorary Vice President Tanaka Hideshi Chairperson of the Minato City Sports Fureai Culture and Health Foundation
President Chubachi Ryoji President of Tokyo Information Design Professional University
Vice President Sunohara Yusaku NHK Director of Group Strategy & Management Department
Committee Member Shinozaki Fuminori NHK Symphony Orchestra Special Concertmaster
Sawa Kazuki Violinist/Conductor, Professor Emeritus of Tokyo University of the Arts
Wakui Yoji President of Affinis Arts Foundation
Ukifune Kunihiko Chairperson of the Board of Director/CEO of The Jikei Group of Colleges
Takamori Miyako Representative Director, International Music Exchange Research Institute
Yoshizono Shinichi Planners 21SYJ Representative Director and President
(Special Member) Ohkubo Tetsuo Director, Chairman, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings, Inc.
Yoshii Keiichi Daiwa House Industry Co., Ltd. President,CEO
Music committee
Chairperson Shinozaki Fuminori Executive Committee
Vice-chairperson Takamori Miyako Executive Committee / Executive producer
Member to be announced later
General management
Executive producer Takamori Miyako Executive Committee
Secretary-General Yoshizono Shinichi Executive Committee
The Tokyo MINATO CITY International Music Competition & Workshop Executive Committee is the organizer of this competition, which will be held in Tokyo from October 16th to October 26th, 2024.

Organization

The Executive Committee will establish a secretariat to plan and manage this competition, and each time it holds a competition, it will also establish a music committee and a judging committee.
The Music Committee and the Judging Committee consist of musicians from Japan and other countries with specialized knowledge. The jury who will judge the Preselections should be made public.

Competition flow

Timetable
May 31 (Friday), 2024 Noon. (Japan time) Application deadline
Upload performance data for Preselection A
*The names of jury members will be announced after the deadline.
1st week of June 2024 Preselection A
Evaluating the performance data of the programme
2nd week of June 2024 Notification of participation in Preselection B
Middle of June 2024 Preselection B
The live performance of the repertoire will be judged, using a remote conference system.
Late June 2024 Contestants admitted to the public rounds will be selected.
October 14 (Monday), 2024 Contestants arrive in Japan / Registration
Jury arrives in Japan
October 15 (Tuesday), 2024 Drawing of lots
Judging Committee Meeting
October 16 (Wednesday), 2024 Preliminary round starts (4 days)
October 19 (Saturday), 2024 Preliminary round ~ results announced
October 20 (Sunday), 2024 Semi-final starts (3 days)
October 22 (Tuesday), 2024 Semi-final ~ results announced
October 23 (Wednesday), 2024 Orchestral rehearsal
October 24 (Thursday), 2024 Orchestral rehearsal
October 25 (Friday), 2024 Final (2 days)
October 26 (Saturday), 2024 Final ~ the results announced
Awards ceremony
Eligibility
The Competition is open to people of all nationalities, who were born between 1994 and 2006.
All applicants must be aged at least 18 and have not yet reached the age of 31 on the first day of the competition (i.e., on October 16, 2024).
Those who are to participate in the competition may not be rejected on any ideological, linguistic, political, religious, or racial grounds.

Application procedure

All applications must be made using the "Entry Form" on this site. No other method of submission will be accepted.
*If an applicant encounters technical problems while applying online, the applicant must contact us as soon as possible via the contact form.

Items required for application
a. Name, address, age, contact information such as email address and telephone number, etc.
b. Image data of face photo (color)
c. Image data of passport (color)
d. Video and audio data of the performance of the repertoire for Preselection A (a performance video)
Click here for the list of the repertoire
Preselection A
Upload the performance video to the online storage service "Dropbox" Please record the above-mentioned performance videos and compile them into one data file.
The recording must not be older than October 2023.
No editing is allowed within each one work of the repertoire.

For the details of how to upload, see "Entry form".
Application deadline May 31 (Friday), 2024 12:00 p.m. Japan time
No alteration should be acceptable after the deadline.
The preselection jury appointed by the Executive Committee will select 60 to 70 candidates who will be admitted to Preselection B.
Although Preselection A is not open to the public, those who applied to participate are allowed to listen to all performances.
After the deadline, the viewing site URL will be informed.
Preselection B
[The judging process for Preselection B]
For Preselection B, candidates are planned to have their live performance judged via a “remote conference system.”
The names of the jury for Preselection B will be announced at a later date.
The details such as the schedule will be announced on this website.
Please see news.
Technical support team will be provided for the use of a “remote conference system.”
Please see news.
The 40 people (planned) who have passed Preselection B will be able to participate in the Preliminary round to be held in Tokyo in October 2024.

Notification of approval for participation in the Preliminary round/application fee

The scores of the works by Japanese composers (Preliminary round repertoire) will be sent to the candidates who pass Preselection B (hereinafter referred to as the “Contestants”).
Contestants must pay an application fee (JPY 20,000) at the time of registration in Tokyo.

Travel /accommodation expenses

The travelling expenses to and from Minato City to participate in the competition shall be borne by the contestant. However, foreign contestants (excluding those residing in Japan) will receive a travel subsidy of JPY 100,000. Contestants from Asia will receive JPY 50,000 or round-trip economy class airfare from the international airport nearest their place of residence to Tokyo, whichever is less. The amount of travel subsidy will be calculated based on the contestant's place of birth (nationality).
(Claims from the country where contestants study abroad will not be accepted.)
Contestants may stay in free accommodation arranged by the organizers (breakfast included). Contestants who bring their pianists must bear all costs associated with the pianist's travel and stay. Only the contestant himself/herself may stay in the above accommodation free of charge.
Contestants who wish to have their companions stay at the same hotel must indicate this after notification of approval to participate in the Preliminary round. In this case, the accommodation expenses shall be borne by the contestant.
Contestants must arrive at Minato City by the start of the drawing of lots on October 15, 2024, and must appear and register at the Competition Secretariat Office. Those who do not register by the deadline will forfeit their right to participate.

Practice

The Executive Committee will provide an official pianist for the contestants without their accompanist, and allow each of the 90-minute opportunity to practice with the pianist once before each round without any charge.
Contestants will be given one opportunity to practice with the orchestra before the Final. The allocation of practice time with the orchestra on the day of the final round is left to the discretion of the conductor.

Performance

The order of performance will be decided on the day before the Preliminary round by drawing lots.

Contestants must attend the assigned place by the designated time of the day. However, if a contestant is late for the designated time due to unavoidable circumstances, the Executive Committee may approve his/her performance with his/her request, depending on the progress of the Competition.

Although it is acceptable to look at the score during the performance, it will affect the judging except for chamber music.
The Preliminary, Semi-final, and Final rounds are open to the public.

Cession of rights

Regarding all performances related to participation in the Competition and all performances at concerts arranged by the Competition as part of the prize for the first prize winner, all rights below belong to the Executive Committee, and Contestants may not have any objection in any form to the Executive Committee’s use thereof, nor can the contestant make any financial claim, regardless of reasons.

a. Broadcasting on radio, television, etc.
b. Making audio or video recordings, whether for broadcast or not.
c. Making audio or visual recordings to produce CDs and DVDs, etc., and reproducing or selling them.
d. Photographing, and reproducing, distributing, or selling those photographs.

Jury

The jury will consist of seven internationally renowned judges.
The jury members must inform the Judging Committee of any contestant who has studied under them for more than three months within the past two years.
Contestants are not entitled to object or appeal to the decision of the jury.
The jury and contestants must not have any contact from the beginning of the Preliminary round to the end of the Final. Violation of this rule will disqualify the contestant and disqualify the jury.

Prizes

First prize JPY 5,000,000, Diploma and Gold medal
Second prize JPY 2,000,000, Diploma and Silver medal
Third prize JPY 1,000,000, Diploma and Bronz medal
Fourth and below JPY 300,000 (for each)
If more than one prize winner is awarded the same rank, the total amount of cash prizes at that rank and the following rank(s) shall be divided equally.
The amount of prize money shall include taxes by Japanese tax law.
Audience prize Prize money: JPY 300,000
Encouragement prize Prize money: JPY 300,000
Supplementary prizes will be awarded separately from organizations and individuals who support the purpose of this competition.

CD release

The Executive Committee may release a CD of the Competition's live performance.

Concert contract

The first prize winner is guaranteed a recital in Japan until the next competition. In that case, the performance fee will be paid.
The prizewinner's first concert in Japan after winning the first prize in this competition must be a concert arranged by the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee will decide the invitation schedule for the concert after consulting with the prizewinner.
Furthermore, the first prize winner must promptly notify the Executive Committee if he/she plans to enter another competition within one year. In such a case, the above concert contract may be canceled.
This Application Guidelines has been prepared in accordance with “The Tokyo MINATO CITY International Music Competition Guidelines,” and any issues arising in connection therewith will be resolved in accordance with the Competition Guidelines in Japanese and the laws of Japan.

Repertoire

At every round, each candidate is allowed to choose the order in which he or she will play the different works on his/her programme.
The works performed in the preselection A may be included again in the Preliminary and later rounds.
If there are any changes to the music to be performed, please notify us using the inquiry form at least 3 months before the start of the competition (July 16, 2024). Any changes made after that will not be accepted.
Preselection A
Contestants will perform both (A) and (B); namely 2 works in total.
A)
Any one of the following sonatinas:
※ Each of the repertoire with/without repeats as instructed below:
F. Schubert
Violin Sonata (Sonatina) in D Major, Op. 137, No. 1, D. 384
I. Allegro molto: with all repeats
II. Andante: with all repeats
III. Allegro Vivace: as written on the score
F. Schubert
Violin Sonata (Sonatina) in A Minor, Op. 137, No. 2, D. 385
I. Allegro moderato: with first repeat only (without the latter repeat)
II. Andante: with all repeats
III. Menuetto: Allegro: with all repeats
IV. Allegro: with all repeats
F. Schubert
Violin Sonata (Sonatina) in G Minor, Op. 137, No. 3, D. 408
I. Allegro giusto: with first repeat only (without the latter repeat)
II. Andante: with first repeat only (without the latter repeat)
III. Menuetto: with all repeats
IV. Allegro moderato: with first repeat only (without the latter repeat)
B)
Any one from 24 Caprices, Op. 1, MS 25 by N. Paganini:
※ The ones with repeat marks must be played with repeats; however, without repeats after da capo.
Preselection B
Any one of the following partitas for solo violin:
A)
J. S. Bach
Partita for Solo Violin No. 1 in B Minor, BWV 1002
※ with/without repeats at the candidate’s choice
J. S. Bach
Partita for Solo Violin No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1004
※ with/without repeats at the candidate’s choice
J. S. Bach
Partita for Solo Violin No. 3 in E Major, BWV 1006
※ with/without repeats at the candidate’s choice
Preliminary round
Contestants will perform (A), (B), and (C); namely, 4 works in total.
A)
Any one of the following Sonatas for solo violin:
E. Ysaÿe
Sonata for Solo Violin in D Minor, Op. 27, No. 3, "Ballade"
E. Ysaÿe
Sonata for Solo Violin in E Minor, Op. 27, No. 4
E. Ysaÿe
Sonata for Solo Violin in G Major, Op. 27, No. 5
B)
A work for solo violin by a Japanese composer (approximately 8 minutes)
The scores of those works to be prepared will be sent to the contestants who pass Preselection B. Contestants will choose any one from those works they received.
C)
Any two pieces composed or arranged by F. Kreisler
Semi-final
Contestants will create and perform a recital programme of their choice with a duration between 60 and 70 minutes.
The programme must include one of the violin sonatas listed below.
F. Schubert
Violin Sonata No. 5 in A Major, D574
L. v. Beethoven
Violin Sonata No. 6 in A Major, Op. 30, No. 1
L. v. Beethoven
Violin Sonata No. 7 in C Minor, Op. 30, No. 2
L. v. Beethoven
Violin Sonata No. 8 in G Major, Op. 30, No. 3, "Champagnersonate"
Final
Contestants will perform (A), and any one of (B); namely 2 works in total.
A)
J. Haydn
Violin Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Hob.VIIa:1: I. Allegro moderato(1st movement only, with cadenza)
※ cadenzas created by contestants themselves only accepted; either previously performed or unperformed
B)
Any one of the concertos listed below:
L. v. Beethoven
Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61
N. Paganini
Violin Concerto No. 1 in D Major, Op. 6, MS 21
R. Schumann
Violin Concerto in D Minor, WoO 1
É. Lalo
Symphonie espagnole, Op. 21 (whole five movements)
J. Brahms
Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 77
C. Saint-Saëns
Violin Concerto No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 61
M. Bruch
Violin Concerto No. 2 in D Minor, Op. 44
M. Bruch
Scottish Fantasy, Op. 46
P. I. Tchaikovsky
Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35
A. Dvořák
Violin Concerto in A Minor, Op. 53, B. 96
J. Sibelius
Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 47
B. Bartók
Violin Concerto No. 2, BB 117
S. Prokofiev
Violin Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, Op. 63
Orchestra
Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor
Kimbo Ishii