Veteran composer Joji Yuasa has received the 51st Otaka Prize, which is presented to Japanese composers in recognition of outstanding orchestral pieces.
The Otaka Prize was created in 1952 to honor the achievements of Hisatada Otaka, a composer and conductor, who died at age 40 on Feb. 16, 1951. For the last 10 years of his life, Otaka was the full-time conductor of the Nihon Symphony Orchestra, the predecessor of the NHK Symphony Orchestra. Until his untimely death, he led the orchestra through difficult times.
In its announcement of this year's recipient, the NHK Symphony Orchestra cited Yuasa's Cosmos Haptic V for Orchestra, which was selected from among 29 pieces nominated by 15 musical organizations.