The International Uuno Klami Composition Competition has won itself an established position as one of the world’s foremost composition competitions. Held at intervals of five years, the aim of the International Uuno Klami Composition Competition is to discover and promote contemporary European music and composition under the name of composer Uuno Klami (1900–1961) and to produce good new repertoire for a small orchestra of sinfonietta type. The works shortlisted for the finals are performed by the Kymi Sinfonietta. The International Uuno Klami Composition Competition is organised by a Patrons’ Association consisting of the Kymi Sinfonietta and the cities of Kotka and Kouvola.
The International Uuno Klami Composition Competition was held for the fifth time in 2023–2024. The V International Uuno Klami Composition Competition attracted once again a vast number of entries, the Competition Office having received a total of almost 230 compositions mailed by the deadline at the beginning of December 2023. The works shortlisted for the finals were performed by the Kymi Sinfonietta at two finals concerts, that were held in the cities of Kouvola and Kotka (Finland) in autumn 2024. The Jury was Finland’s Kalevi Aho, Magnus Lindberg and Lotta Wennäkoski, and Sweden’s Mats Larsson Gothe, four of the greatest composers and most influential musical figures of their generation. Conductor Ernest Martínez Izquierdo also joined the jury at a later stage, he conducted the competition’s final concerts in autumn 2024.
The jury awarded the prizes as follows:
I prize € 11 000: Matei Gheorghiu (Romania/Finland) for From the Village of Nowhere (piano concerto)
II prize € 9 000: Dawid Grenda (Poland) for you dream in a language i can’t understand
III prize € 7 000: Roberto Sansuini (Italy) for FLOW (flute concerto)
The prize of the City of Kotka worth €2 500 went to Jonathan Brigg (Great Britain) for Reflektor
The prize of the City of Kouvola worth €1 000 went to Yves Balmer (France/Switzerland) for Stiacciato
The audience prize, the prize of the Municipality of Virolahti worth € 500 went to Matei Gheorghiu (Romania/Finland) for From the Village of Nowhere (piano concerto)
Kymi Sinfonietta is also the orchestra of the national Uuno Klami Composition Competition for young composers. The previous competition for young composers was held between 2021-2022.
For more information, please visit: www.klamicompetition.fi