WINNERS

The Jury selected the prizewinners of the International Composers Competition

A total of 243 pieces from 60 nationalities was submitted for the competition. In reviewing these pieces, the jury could trace the compositional developments from the last three years and was grateful for the professional and diverse submissions by every age group. The decision for nominating the winners was not based on level or experience, but on various parameters such as concept, originality, individuality, innovation and aesthetic consistency. The jury focused their attention on the candidates who were able to establish their own language and style in their music and, in doing so, create something new. From these criteria, the jury chose something serious, something conceptual and something musical. Third place was awarded to Jug Marković, who, with m-Tongue, has presented a piece that is “concertante” in the best sense of the word: in a colorful and virtuosic manner he evokes a battle of the instruments which, on the one hand moves towards the exhilarating sound of chamber music and, on the other, moderates this impression with humor. Rafael Rentería’s Dark Eyes Full in Gore bridges the gap between conceptual constraint – four basic emotions and their assigned rhythmic figures serve as a starting point for the performance – and a collage of sound and noise as rich as it is disturbing, with which he reflects the modern world of consumerism with its vacillation between overstimulation and monotony of substance. The conviction of Tobias Fandel’ Rational Choices lays in the precise workmanship and great patience and intensity, with which he unfolds the sound world of his piece. In this way, rhythmic reduction is subservient to a drama that does not erupt offensively, but draws its strength from the discipline of design. Rafael Rentería and Tobias Fandel share second place in this year’s competition. First place was not awarded.

1st place : not awarded
2nd place: Tobias Fandel & Rafael Rentería
3rd place: Jug K. Marković

Tobias Fandel (2nd place)

Tobias Fandel’s artistic works address perception and sensuality as well as the philosophy and psychology of both urban and technological changes. In doing so, they create macroscopical »pixels« yielding fragmented aesthetic experiences which allow the listener to subjectively position himself.

Numerous international engagements with festivals, concerts series and ensembles in Taipei (Soochow University), Tel Aviv (CEME Festival: Ensemble Meitar), Sochi (XII Sochi Winter Arts Festival: Yuri Bashmet), Moscow (Russian States Philharmony Moscow: Moscow Soloists), New York (Mise-En Music Festival: Ensemble Mise-En), Lugano (Ticino Musica: Ensemble Modern), Bangkok (TICF Festival, Hong Kong New Music Ensemble), St. Petersburg (reMusik May 2020: Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble) and Chengdu (XV Chengdu Sun River Composition Prize: 3rd prize) attest to his culturally open artistic vision.

In addition, Fandel has collaborated with artists from different disciplines, such as Bobbi Chen (acting, dance), Ma Haijiao (film) and Silvan Schmid (jazz trumpet) within the scope of the Transcultural Collaboration and the Shanghai Biennale.

After studying in Frankfurt am Main (music and mathematics), Munich (Markus Bellheim, piano), Zurich (Isabel Mundry, composition) and Helsinki (Tuija Hakkila, piano), Fandel completed his post-graduate studies (Meisterklasse) with honors under Claus-Steffen Mahnkopf in Leipzig. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Music degree at The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Rafael Rentería (2nd place)

Rafael Rentería, born in Mexico, is a composer of acoustic and electronic music. His works have been performed at several contemporary music festivals in Mexico, Cuba, the United States, Argentina, Chile, Austria, France and Poland, including the Ensenada Music Festival, and the 2010 and 2011 Manuel Enriquez International Forum of New Music.

Most recently he has been selected in a call for scores in New York with a piece for string quartet, and won first place at the 3rd National Composition Competition with a quartet for percussion and new electronics to be premiered by the SAFA Ensamble.

Jug K. Marković (3rd place)

Born in Belgrade, Jug K. Marković studied philosophy, and music with Vlastimir Trajković and Zoran Erić. In addition to his tutelage under Michael Finnissy, he has attended master classes with renowned composers such as Enno Poppe, Richard Barrett, Georges Aperghis, Kaija Saariaho, John Corigliano, Franck Bedrossian, Mauro Lanza and Stefano Gervasoni. Marković was a composer in residence at Snape Maltings in England and at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon. His music has been performed at prestigious European music festivals including the Donaueschinger Musiktage, the Time of Music Festival and the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence.

Marković is the winner of the 2019 ISCM Young Composers’ Award, the 2017 TENSO Young Composers’ Award and the 3rd Anton Matasovsky Composers’ Competition. His music has been performed by Ensemble Intercontemporain, the Mivos Quartet, the Divertimento Ensemble, the Latvian Radio Choir, the Chamber Choir Ireland, the Construction Site New Music Ensemble, the RTS Symphony Orchestra and the St. George Strings.

Marković wrote original music for the theater play »Phaedra«, the silent movie »Illusionists« and for the musical theater monodrama »EDIT«, for which he won the ArtTrema Fest award.

Marković has most recently been accepted into the 2020 Ircam Cursus program.