The Japanese soprano Maine Takeda (4th semester soloist exam singing class Prof. Hanno Müller-Brachmann) and the pianist Mariko Sakonju from the Lied class of Prof. Hartmut Höll and Prof. Dr h.c. Mitsuko Shirai have won 1st prize at the 93rd Music Competition of Japan in Tokyo. The two were also honoured with the Hatanaka Prize for the best interpretation of Japanese songs. Mariko Sakonju also received the competition committee's special prize for best pianist.
Riho Suzuki, who was a master's student in Prof Reinhold Friedrich's trumpet class until February this year, also won first prize at the same competition - out of 90 participants in the first round.
The Music Competition of Japan is not only the most important competition in Japan, but also a renowned international competition. One of its sponsors is the Japanese broadcasting company NHK (Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai).
The Japanese music competition has been held more than ninety times since the first competition in 1932. It consists of ten disciplines, of which the competitions for piano, violin, composition and singing are held annually and the competitions for cello, French horn, clarinet, trumpet, flute and oboe are held every three years.
The final round of this year's competition took place from October to 7 November 2024 at the Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall. The special prizes were announced after the end of the competition on 8 November.