Winners Announced at the Basel Composition Competition

Brazilian composer Leonardo Silva took out First Prize of 60,000 CHF for his work, "Lume"

Switzerland's Basel Composition Competition named its four prizewinners, with the composers winning a combined total of 101,000 CHF.

The winning work was Lume, by the Brazilian composer Leonardo Silva. He takes home First Prize, which is valued at 60,000 CHF. Silva has a background in engineering and is largely self-taught as a composer: his one qualification is a master's degree from the Zurich University of the Arts.

Second Prize of 25,000 CHF went to the Japanese composer Masato Kimura, for his work ~ minus ~ IX for five string quartets and ensemble.

Joint third Prize of 7500 CHF each was awarded to Japanese composer Nana Kamiyama, for the work Umbilical Cord for chamber orchestra, and to Korean composer Jinseok Choi, for the work chameleon.

Founded in 2017 in memory of the composer Paul Sacher, the Basel Composition Competition is presented biennially and offers composers of all ages and nationalities the opportunity to have one of their works premiered. The compositions are performed by members of the Basel Chamber Orchestra, the Basel Symphony Orchestra, and the Basel Sinfonietta.

In 2023 the jury was comprised of Michael Jarrell (Chair), Toshio Hosokawa, Andrea L. Scartazzini, Dr Florian Besthorn, and Luca Francesconi.

Born in 1989 in Brazil, Leonardo Ferreira Silva was primarily self-taught at the beginning of his journey as a composer. He later received private guidance from Brazilian composers Rubner de Abreu, Rogério Vasconcelos, and Roberto Toscano. In 2014, he moved to Europe began his studies at the Zürcher Hochschule der Künste with Isabel Mundry, and obtained his Master's in Music Composition to years later.

Leonardo is the first prize winner at the isa-music Festival (University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna), a recipient of the Artistic Residency in Berlin offered by Stadt Zürich Kultur, a finalist at the First International Composition Contest Viola’s by Association Franco-européenne de l’Alto, and a Diploma of Merit recipient from Salvatore Sciarrino at the renowned Accademia Chigiana.