The Concours de Genève has announced the three finalists for its 2026 Composition Competition.

The finalists include Sing-Yat Chen of Hong Kong, Hanurij Lee of South Korea, and Rafael Marino Arcaro of Brazil. The trio was selected by the jury from a shortlist of 188 composers ranging in age from 9 to 39 and representing 46 countries.

Beginning in May, the three composition finalists will collaborate with the six semi-finalists of the Conducting Competition in preparation for the final round. The finalists will return to Geneva in September for workshops ahead of the Nov. 9 rehearsals with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. This all culminates in performances of the finalists’ works on Nov. 11, 2026, in Geneva with Orchestre de la Suisse Romande being conducted by the three finalists of the concurrent 2026 Conducting Competition.

The jury is chaired by composer Unsuk Chin and includes Toshio Hosokawa, Magnus Lindberg, Augusta Reed Thomas, and Katharina Rosenberger.

The competition calls for new works for symphony orchestra composed after March 2024, between 12 and 16 minutes in length, written for a minimum of 40 players and without soloists or electronics. Candidates must have been born after Nov. 11, 1986. Prizes are set at CHF 15,000 for first place, CHF 10,000 for second, and CHF 5,000 for third. Laureates also receive two years of career services from Paris-based concert agency Sartory Artists, including career management, personal coaching, and commissions.

This year’s edition marks the 80th anniversary of the Concours de Genève, and features the return of the Conducting Competition for the first time since 1994, when Alan Gilbert claimed the top prize.