Japanese wins $30,000 Zemlinsky Prize
mainA Japanese composer Aya Yoshida has won a major competition endowed by Alexander Zemlinsky’s widow at the University of Cincinnati with the aim of perpetuating his name.
Yoshida received $30k and a performance of her orchestral work, Double-Face.
Second-placed Pole Tomasz Skweres received $20k.
A Finn, Joel Järventausta, came third.
Which is noteworthy: the identity of the winning composers, or their nationalities ?
At least this isn’t a story about gender.
I wonder what Zemlinsky would have thought of this:
http://ayayoshidacomposer.com/video/cello-go-round-video-video
http://ayayoshidacomposer.com/video/the-vivid-stitch-for-12-violoncellos-2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7bMee_X7ZI
I can hear a notable influence of Saariaho on the piece that took the 3rd prize…
https://soundcloud.com/joel-jarventausta/cantus-for-orchestra-2016
https://www.dr.dk/radio/p2/p2-koncerten/p2-koncerten-2016-03-10#!/
Double face starts near 1:51:40
My favorite part is when the tea kettle starts whistling and won’t stop.
aural shock and awe.