14th Akiyoshidai Music Competition Guideline [Saxophone]Akiyoshidai Music Competition

Information

Schedule

Saxophone Division

Registration	22nd March, 2026 (Sun.)
1st Qualifier	23rd(Mon) and 24th (Tue.) March, 2026
2nd Qualifier	25th March, 2026 (Wed.)
Final Selection	26th March, 2026 (Thu.)

Venue

Akiyoshidai International Art Village (50 Akiyoshi, Shuho-cho, Mine city, Yamaguchi)

Organizer

Yamaguchi Kirameki Foundation　Akiyoshidai International Art Village

Supporters

Yamaguchi Prefecture, Yamaguchi Board of Education, Mine City, Mine City Board of Education, Asahi Shimbun, The Mainichi Newspapers Co.,Ltd. , The Yomiuri Shimbun, Yamaguchi Shimbun, The Chugoku Shimbun, Yamaguchi Broadcasting Co.,Ltd. , tys, Yamaguchi Asahi Broadcasting.,Ltd. , FM YAMAGUCHI , FM Kirara , FM SMILE WAVE,Yamaguchi Prefectural Cultural Federation

1. Regarding Screening

Screening Procedure

– Live performance evaluations at the Akiyoshidai International Arts Village Concert Hall.
– Results from the 1st Qualifier onwards will be determined on the same day by the judging committee and announced at the venue.
– Final results will be determined by the judging committee after the performance, with announcements and award ceremonies at the venue.

Jury

Chief juror: Nobuya SUGAWA
Juries: Ryoko EGAWA
　　　Masanori OHISHI
　　　Keisuke JINBO
　　　Shin-ichiro　HIKOSAKA
　　　Makoto　HONDO
　　　Hiroyuki KANAKI

Prize

First Place: ￥400,000- in prize money and certificate
Second Prize: ￥200,000-in prize money and certificate
Third Prize: ￥100,000-in prize money and certificate

4th to 6th prize -Certificate
※The winner of the top prize will also receive the Governor of Yamaguchi Prefectural Award (Certificate), and as well as a supplementary honor: an invitation to perform at concerts and other cultural events organized by the Akiyoshidai International Art Village

2. Application Procedure

Eligibility

Participants must be 16 years old or older but not older than 39 years old.
(Born between April 2, 1985, and April 1, 2009).

*Age is based on the status as of April 1, 2025, and nationality and background are not relevant.

Participation fee

￥30,000-
– Payment details will be provided separately.

Application Period

From January 7, 2026 (Wed.) to January 21, 2026 (Wed.)

*First-come, first-served basis: limited to 55 participants.

**Applications MUST be received by 23:59 on January 21,2026(JST)

Application Procedure

Application Form

– Online applications through the application form only.

<<here>>

<Important Points>

After applying, you will receive a confirmation email within a few days. Depending on your email settings, emails from Akiyoshidai International Art Village may not be received, so please set your email to allow emails from “aiav.jp” through domain-specific reception.

3. Important Notes

Registration:

– Participants must register at the venue at the specified date and time, following staff instructions. Late arrivals may result in disqualification.
– The organizers will determine the performance order.

Expenses

– Participants are responsible for all expenses related to their participation.
– If accompanying an accompanist, participants must cover all associated costs.
– Accommodation fees for Akiyoshidai International Arts Village during the competition period (4 nights) are free.

*Excludes accompanying pianists (additional application required).

– Information regarding options during the art village stay will be provided later.

– Shuttle buses will be available from JR Shin-Yamaguchi Station and Yamaguchi Ube Airport to the Art Village on the day before the 1st Qualifier and after the final selection (additional fees apply; one-way ¥2,500 per person; advance reservation required).

Cancellation Policy

 – In case of unavoidable withdrawal, please contact the secretariat promptly.

– Entry fees once paid are non-refundable.

Privacy Policy

– Please be aware that the participant’s name, age, highest level of education, and ID photo may be used for this competition’s public relations activities.
– Participant’s private information is used only for the management of this competition.
– The organizer has the right to take photos and videos, and make audio recordings of this competition for broadcasting, etc.

Regarding Archive Streaming

-As part of the “Akiyoshidai Music Competition Archive Distribution” all performances from the final round, including the large saxophone ensemble section(※) will be made available free of charge via the Akiyoshidai International Art Village YouTube account.

-By applying to participate, you are deemed to have consented to the recording and filming of your performance, and to the free distribution of the resulting audio and video on video-sharing platforms. This includes granting permission for the use of performers’ rights associated with such distribution.

※See Section 6 for further details of the large saxophone ensemble.

4. Official Pianist

Usage Guidelines

– The official pianist system is available.
– Practice times, locations, and assigned pianists will be specified on the day before each Qualifier and the final selection. Participants cannot nominate their pianists.
– Payment for piano usage must be made in cash at the reception on the day before each Qualifier and the final selection.

Pianists

Michiyo HANEISHI, Eri IZUMIYA, Mari KAWAGISHI

System Usage Fees

First qualifier-B	¥5,000-
Second qualifier	¥8,000-
Final selection	¥10,000-

5. Assigned Pieces

1st Qualifier	Participants are required to perform both of the following pieces: ① R. Boutry: Divertimento (Published by Alphonse Leduc) ② An unaccompanied free-choice piece (any saxophone type is acceptable). Please note: Due to time constraints, performances may be interrupted before completion.
2nd Qualifier	Participants must perform both of the following: ① Required Piece: Ryuichi Sakamoto – Fantasia (Published by Mouton Library) ② One selection from the following pieces (no repeats): (a) K. Husa – Elegy and Rondo (Published by Alphonse Leduc) (b) I. Gotkovsky – Brillance (Published by Gerard Billaudot) (c) B. Heiden – Saxophone Sonata (Published by Schott Music) (d) E. Schulhoff – Hot Sonata (Published by Zen-on Music Publishing) (e) R. Muczynski – Sonata Op.29 for Alto Saxophone and Piano (Published by G. Schirmer Inc.) (f) R. Planel – Prelude and Saltarelle for Saxophone and Piano (Published by Alphonse Leduc)
Final Selection	Participants must perform both of the following: ① One of the pieces listed below: (a) R. Gallois-Montbrun – Selected from “6 Pièces Musicales d’etude”: – No. 1 Ballade – No. 6 Finale (Published by Alphonse Leduc) (b) A. Jolivet – Fantaisie Impromptu (Published by Alphonse Leduc) ② J. Ibert – Concertino da Camera (Published by Alphonse Leduc)

6. Large saxophone ensamble

-To promote interaction among participants, a Large Saxophone Ensemble will be held after the second qualifier, with jury members also expected to take part.

-Participation is optional; however, please note that this performance will also be streamed free of charge on the Akiyoshidai International Art Village YouTube channel.

-Details regarding the repertoire will be provided along with the participation guidelines. We warmly encourage you to take part.