This prize was established in April 1990 with the support of the Japan Federation of Composers,
and celebrates the achievements of the late Yasushi Akutagawa,
who made significant contributions to the development of Western-style music in Japan in the post-war years.
This composition prize, the first of its kind in Japan,
is a unique initiative aimed at up-and-coming composers creating orchestral works full of freshness and steeped in potential,
with winners selected from among pieces premiered at public concerts.
This is a compound award, as composers winning the prize also receive a commission for a new orchestral work,
with the first performance held two years thereafter. Prize money: ¥1,500,000/ Commission fee: ¥1,000,000.
Yasushi Akutagawa Suntory Award for Music Composition
- Times
- Year
- Awardees, commissioned works
- 1st
- 1991
-
Symphonic Karma composed by Yutaka TAKAHASHI (1953- )
Jury: Ikuma DAN, Teizo MATSUMURA, Toshiro MAYUZUMI Commissioned work: Piano Concerto premiered on Aug.28, 1993
- 2nd
- 1992
-
One Design for Piano and Orchestra Ⅱ composed by Izumi YAMADA (1952-1999)
Jury: Toru TAKEMITSU, Teizo MATSUMURA, Toshiro MAYUZUMI Commissioned work: Twelve Scenes for viola and orchestra premiered on Aug.27, 1994
- 3rd
- 1993
-
Fiber of the Breath composed by Toshiro SARUYA (1960- )
YOHEN for piano and orchestra composed by Yukio KIKUCHI (1964- )
Jury: Toshi ICHIYANAGI, Teizo MATSUMURA, Toshiro MAYUZUMI Commissioned work: Mutual Recognition by Toshiro SARUYA Ballade for orchestra by Yukio KIKUCHI premiered on Aug.27, 1995
- 4th
- 1994
-
L'INTÉXTÉRIEUR concerto pour violon et orchestre no.2 composed by Tetsuji EMURA (1960- )
Jury: Toru TAKEMITSU, Teizo MATSUMURA, Toshiro MAYUZUMI Commissioned work: Primavera premiered on Aug.29, 1996
- 5th
- 1995
-
Kikei no ten-nyo/shichiseki (The heavenly maiden in deformation/weaven star) composed by Sunao ISAJI (1968- )
Jury: Toshi ICHIYANAGI, Toshiro MAYUZUMI, Joji YUASA Commissioned work: excess, pureness, the air. premiered on Aug.31, 1997
1996 - 2000
- 6th
- 1996
-
DIES IRAE/LACRIMOSA composed by Atsuhiko GONDAI (1965-)
Jury: Shin-ichiro IKEBE, Teizo MATSUMURA, Toshiro MAYUZUMI Commissioned work: Father Forgive ~The Litany of Reconciliation~ +In Paradisum premiered on Aug.29, 1998
- 7th
- 1997
-
Dual Personality for solo percussionist and orchestra (devided into 2 groups) composed by Motoharu KAWASHIMA (1972- )
Jury: Toshi ICHIYANAGI, Hikaru HAYASHI, Teizo MATSUMURA Commissioned work: Manic-Depressive Ⅲ for piano, prepared piano and orchestra premiered on Aug.29, 1999
- 8th
- 1998
-
The Myth of Sisyphus for two pianos and orchestra composed by Hiroyuki ITOH (1963- )
Jury: Toshi ICHIYANAGI, Teizo MATSUMURA, Joji YUASA Commissioned work: Mirror Ⅱ for orchestra premiered on Aug.27, 2000
- 9th
- 1999
-
REFLEX for piano and orchestra composed by Naoko HISHINUMA (1970- )
Jury: Maki ISHII, Teizo MATSUMURA, Joji YUASA Commissioned work: Cloud Castle premiered on Aug.26, 2001
- 10th
- 2000
-
Camera lucida composed by Misato MOCHIZUKI (1969- )
Feb.28, 2010 Tokyo Opera City recital halll Jury: Shin-ichiro IKEBE, Teizo MATSUMURA, Joji YUASA Commissioned work: Omega Project premiered on Aug.25, 2002
2001 - 2005
- 11th
- 2001
-
Sonora Distancia Ⅲ for soloists and orchestra composed by Keiko HARADA (1968- )
Jury: Shin-ichiro IKEBE, Akira NISHIMURA, Toshio HOSOKAWA Commissioned work: Third Ear Deaf Ⅲ for orchestra premiered on Aug.31, 2003
- 12th
- 2002
-
Astration for orchestra -In memory of Gerard Grisey composed by Masakazu NATSUDA (1968- )
Jury: Toshi ICHIYANAGI, Jo KONDO, Toshio HOSOKAWA Commissioned work: Gravity Wave premiered on Aug.29, 2004
- 13th
- 2003
-
Canticum Tremulum Ⅱ composed by Hiroyuki YAMAMOTO (1967- )
Jury: Jo KONDO, Ichiro NODAIRA, Hikaru HAYASHI Commissioned work: The Monody Community premiered on Aug.28, 2005
- 14th
- 2004
-
Bolero by Muramatsu Gear Engine composed by Masahiro MIWA (1958- )
Jury: Toshiro SARUYA, Ichiro NODAIRA, Joji YUASA Commissioned work: 369 fot strings, homage to Mr.B premiered on Aug.27, 2006
- 15th
- 2005
-
Entomophonie Ⅲ composed by Yumi SAIKI (1967-)
Jury: Toshiro SARUYA, Ichiro NODAIRA, Joji YUASA Commissioned work: Entomophonie Ⅵ premiered on Sep.2, 2007
2006 - 2010
- 16th
- 2006
-
Sept profils non érodés – pour piano et orchestre composed by Tomiko KOHJIBA (1952- )
Jury: Tetsuji EMURA, Toshio HOSOKAWA, Joji YUASA Commissioned work: Lion in the sky eats the moon for trombone and orchestra premiered on Aug.31, 2008
- 17th
- 2007
-
Keselanpatharan composed by Noriko KOIDE (1982- )
Jury: Shin-ichiro IKEBE, Toshi ICHIYANAGI, Keiko HARADA Commissioned work: ChOcoLAtE premiered on Aug.29, 2009
- 18th
- 2008
-
The Rite of ‘Engui’ No.2 for chamber orchestre composed by Msaki NORIKURA (1963- )
Jury: Jo KONDO, Keiko HARADA, Yori-Aki MATSUDAÏRA Commissioned work: TOMOSHIBI-NO for Violoncello and Orchestra premiered on Aug.29, 2010
- 19th
- 2009
-
--- as I am --- composed by Dai FUJIKURA (1977- )
Jury: Yumi SAIKI, Shigeaki SAEGUSA, Yori-Aki MATSUDAÏRA Commissioned work: Tocar y Luchar for Orchestra premiered on Aug.28, 2011
- 20th
- 2010
-
Dots Collection No.04 for chamber orchestra composed by Akiko YAMANE (1982- )
Jury: Shigeaki SAEGUSA,Toshiro SARUYA, Joji YUASA Commissioned work: Harakiri Maiden for Biwa and Orchestra premiered on Aug.26. 2012
2011 - 2015
- 21st
- 2011
-
Sora no katachi for Piano and Orchestra composed by Masahiro YAMAUCHI (1960- )
Jury: Sunao ISAJI, Tokuhide NIIMI, Joji YUASA Commissioned work: Sora no Kioku for Orchestra premiered on Sep.1. 2013
- 22nd
- 2012
-
Beyond Conflict for Orchestra composed by Kempo ARAI (1988- )
Jury: Michio KITAZUME, Yutaka TAKAHASHI, Keiko HARADA Commissioned work: TACTUS premiered on Aug.31. 2014
- 23rd
- 2013
-
Concerto pour violon et orchestre composed by Kenji SAKAI (1977- )
Jury: Hiroyuki ITOH, Motoharu KAWASHIMA, Tomiko KOHJIBA Commissioned work: Violin Concerto “ On the G string ” premiered on Aug.30. 2015
- 24th
- 2014
-
La Romanesca II - Les Pérégrinations de Petrucci pour orchestre composed by Jummei SUZUKI (1970- )
Jury: Kunitaka KOKAJI, Norio FUKUSHI, Misato MOCHIZUKI Commissioned work: 1920 pour tuba et orchestre premiered on Aug.28. 2016
- 25th
- 2015
-
Damier & Mismatch J.H:S for orchestra composed by Yûta BANDOH (1991- )
Jury: Shin-ichiro IKEBE, Akiko YAMANE, Hiroyuki YAMAMOTO Commissioned work: Fireworks - Concerto for piano and orchestra premiered on Sep.2. 2017
2016 - 2020
- 26th
- 2016
-
gefaltet…für Orchester composed by Yukiko WATANABE (1983- )
Jury: Noriko KOIDE, Masaki NORIKURA, Masahiro MIWA Commissioned work: Morning Haze Junction premiered on Aug.26. 2018
- 27th
- 2017
-
Let’s speak in Wondrous Words! composed by Hirofumi MOGI (1988- )
Jury: Kenji SAKAI, Akira NISHIMURA, Masahiro YAMAUCHI Commissioned work: Memory of Clouds Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra
premiered on Aug.31. 2019
- 28th
- 2018
-
Paysages Entrelacés composed by Naoki Sakata (1981- )
Jury: Jummei SUZUKI, Ichiro NODAIRA, and Naoko HISHINUMA Commissioned work: Lumière indomptable for Orchestra
premiered on Aug.29. 2020
- 29th
- 2019
-
Miscommunication to Excommunication for Large Ensemble composed by Yasutaki Inamori (1978- )
Jury: Yumi SAIKI, Yuta BANDOH, Satoshi MINAMI Commissioned work: Hypomnemata for Piano and Orchestra
premiered on Aug.28. 2021
- 30th
- 2020
-
Singable Love II – feat. Magicicada for Orchestra by Kenta Onoda (1996-)
Jury: Hitomi KANEKO, Tomoko FUKUI, and Misato MOCHIZUKI Commissioned work: Chants d’étoileurs for Two Pianos and Orchestra
Premiered on Aug.27.2022
2021 -
- 31st
- 2021
-
Time Abyss for Seventeen Musicians Divided in Two Groups by Yu Kuwabara(1984-)
Jury: Keiko HARADA, Jo KONDO, Naoki SAKATA Commissioned work: Falling Leaves Moon Steps
Premiered on Aug. 26. 2023
- 32nd
- 2022
- A Lost Innocence Chase Ⅱ for Orchestra by Yuya Haryu(1995-)
Jury: Norio Fukushi, Kenji Sakai, Akiko Yamane Commissioned work: to be premiered in Aug. 2024
- 33rd
- 2023
- DANCING QUEER for Orchestra by Wataru Mukai(1993-)
Jury: Yasutaki Inamori, Kunitaka Kokaji, Yukiko Watanabe Commissioned work: to be premiered in Aug. 2025
