On January 15, this year, five finalists of the International Lepo Sumera Composition Contest were announced. By decision of the international jury, Chong Kee-Yong (Malaisia), Brian Buch (USA), Luca Antignani (Italy), Pui-Shan Cheung (Hong-Kong) and Andrea Portera (Italy) were selected as the best young composers.
Lepo Sumera (1950–2000) was one of the innavators of the Estonian symphonic music, the author of six symphonies and other orchestral works. Incorporating modern means of expression into symphonic tradition he brought Estonian symphonic music to a new level of artistic development.
International Lepo Sumera Composition Contest for the Young Composers was established in 2003 to promote and evaluate the symphonic legacy of the composer and innovative orchestral music all over the world. The contest is organized by the Lepo Sumera Society in co-operation with the Estonian Composers' Union and Estonian National Symphony Orchestra. The conditions of the contest require original orchestral pieces of 9'– 12' duration for full symphony orchestra and open for young composers under the age of 35.
This year the contest had 124 participants from 41 contries, among them 2 Estonians. The international jury consists of composers Rolf Wallin (Norway), Regis Campo (France), Anders Hillborg (Sweden), Helena Tulve (Estonia) and conductor Toomas Vavilov (Estonia).
The five finalist works will be performed in Estonia Concert Hall by Estonian National Symphony Orchestra under the guidance of Toomas Vavilov on March 25, at the opening concert of the Estonian Music Days Festival 2006. The prizes of the contest are 5000 (First Prize), 3000 (Second Prize) and 2000 (Third Prize) euros. The winners of the contest will be announced after the concert. At the same concert, Lepo Sumera's Piano Concerto from 1989 will be performed by pianist Peep Lassmann and ENSO.
The first Lepo Sumera Composition Contest in 2003 received 91 scores all over the world. The 1st prize was awarded to the Italian composer Alberto Colla ("Starlights"), the 2nd prize to Naomi Sekiya from Japan (“Undulation” ), the 3rd prize to the Estonian Tõnu Kõrvits ("Eldorado").