SING-YAT CHEN, HANURIJ LEE AND RAFAEL MARINO ARCARO ANNOUNCED AS FINALISTS FOR THE CONCOURS DE GENÈVE’S COMPOSITION COMPETITION 2026
WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON 11 NOVEMBER IN GENEVA
Sing-Yat Chen; Hanurij Lee; Rafael Marino Arcaro
17 March 2026
The chair of the jury for the Concours de Genève’s Composition Competition, renowned composer Unsuk Chin, today announced the three finalists whose works will be performed in Geneva on 11 November 2026 by the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, under the baton of the three finalists of the 2026 Conducting Competition.
By bringing together these two concurrent disciplines in a bold new form, the Competition places contemporary creation firmly at its centre.
Sing-Yat Chen [24, Hong Kong], Hanurij Lee [20, South Korea] and Rafael Marino Arcaro [35, Brazil] were chosen by the jury from a shortlist of 188 composers who ranged in age from 9 to 39, representing 46 countries. This year saw the highest ever number of applications for the Composition Competition.
The Composition Competition 2026 rewards new works for symphony orchestra composed after March 2024. The Competition is open to candidates born after 11 November 1986 and applicants were tasked with composing a work of between 12 to 16 minutes long for a symphony orchestra of no less than 40 players, and without soloists or the use of electronic systems.
The three finalists will be competing for a first prize of CHF 15,000, a second prize of CHF 10,000 and a third prize of CHF 5,000.
In addition to the official prizes, laureates benefit from two years of services from the concert agency Sartory Artists, Paris. This includes career management, personal coaching and commissions, enabling them to take their first steps on the Swiss and international music scenes.
The Composition Prize jury consists of five world-renowned composers: Unsuk Chin, (Chair), Toshio Hosokawa, Magnus Lindberg, Augusta Reed Thomas and Katharina Rosenberger.
Unsuk Chin, Chair of the Jury, said: “All of the works submitted for this year’s Composition Competition were of a very high standard. It was exciting to encounter such a cornucopia of compositional styles, but it also meant that selecting merely three works for the finals was a demanding task! The jury hopes that each of these composers finds their path to establishing themselves as a composer.
The three finalists all possess an impressive level of musical ideas, technical prowess, and artistic personality. Moreover, the works represent completely different worlds, running a gamut of compositional styles and showcasing a very broad musical spectrum, which I’m sure will fascinate the audience in the final concert.”
Didier Schnorhk, Secretary General, Concours de Genève, said: “We’re thrilled to announce the three finalists for the Composition Competition 2026, and are immensely proud that it will be the finalists of our Conducting Competition who will bring their works to life with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande in November. Promoting new music is not merely a stance or a trend – it is both a demand and a necessity if we are to keep the art of music alive. Bringing together composition and conducting within a single competition is an absolute innovation: only in Geneva would one dare to do such a thing!”
From May onwards, the three finalists will collaborate with the six semi-finalists of the Conducting Competition as part of the preparation and development process leading up to the Final Round. The finalists will be in Geneva in September for workshops before returning on 9 November to follow the rehearsals of their work for the Final Round with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, conducted by the three finalists of the Conducting Competition.
This year, the Concours de Genève celebrates its 80th Anniversary edition with the Conducting Competition returning for the first time since 1994 when Alan Gilbert won the top prize. Throughout the Competition’s prestigious history, it has launched major international careers with its unique annual presentation of two musical disciplines and ongoing commitment to supporting laureates after their victory.