Suntory Music Award

The Suntory Music Award (Japanese: サントリー音楽賞, Santorī ongakushō), previously known as the Torii Music Award (鳥井音楽賞, Torii ongakushō), designed to promote Western music in Japan, has been given by the Suntory Music Foundation since their establishment in 1969. The award is presented annually to individuals or groups for the greatest achievement in the development of Western or contemporary music in Japan during the previous year.

The current prize is 7,000,000 yen (approximately US $70,000). A Suntory Music Award Commemorative Concert is held annually in Suntory Hall to introduce and popularize the work of the recipient.

Recipients

No. Year Recipient Notes
1 1969 Michio Kobayashi (小林 道夫), pianist, harpsichordist and conductor  
2 1970 Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, cellist  
3 1971 Reiji Mitani (三谷 礼二), opera producer  
4 1972 Takashi Ogawa (小川 昂), theorist and critic  
5 1973 International Christian University Organ Committee  
6 1974 Kazuyoshi Akiyama, conductor  
7 1975 Yoshinobu Kuribayashi (栗林 義信), baritone
Ginji Yamane (山根 銀二), critic		  
8 1976 Yasushi Akutagawa, composer and conductor
New Symphony Orchestra (新交響楽団)		  
9 1977 Toshiko Tsunemori (常森 寿子), soprano  
10 1978 Teizō Matsumura, composer  
11 1979 Sumire Yoshihara (吉原 すみれ), percussionist  
Special award: Mari Iwamoto String Quartet (巖本真理弦楽四重奏団)
12 1980 Kappa Senoo (妹尾 河童), scenic designer  
Special award: Hideo Edo (江戸 英雄), president of the 1st Japan International Music Competition
13 1981 Minao Shibata, composer  
14 1982 Yūzō Toyama, conductor  
Special award: Kiyoshi Hara, Representative of The Symphony Hall Construction Group
15 1983 Keisuke Suzuki (鈴木 敬介), opera producer  
16 1984 Kiyomi Toyoda (豊田 喜代美), soprano  
17 1985 Telemann Institute Japan Chamber Orchestra and Chorus Telemann Institute Japan website
18 1986 Mitsuko Uchida, pianist
Hiroshi Wakasugi, conductor		  
19 1987 Hiroyuki Iwaki, conductor  
20 1988 Yasuko Hayashi (林 康子), soprano  
21 1989 Masahiro Arita (有田 正広), early music performer  
22 1990 Tōru Takemitsu, composer  
23 1991 Tadaaki Otaka, conductor  
24 1992 Shigeo Neriki (練木 繁夫), pianist  
25 1993 Midori Gotō, violinist  
Special award: Wolfgang Sawallisch, conductor
26 1994 Takayoshi Wanami (和波 孝禧), violinist  
27 1995 Nobuko Imai, violist  
28 1996 Takahiro Sonoda, pianist
Jōji Yuasa, composer		  
29 1997 Tokyo Symphony Orchestra  
Special award: Toshiro Mayuzumi, composer
30 1998 Hikaru Hayashi, composer  
31 1999 Akira Miyoshi, composer  
32 2000 Taijiro Iimori (飯守 泰次郎), conductor Taijiro Iimori website
33 2001 Toshi Ichiyanagi, composer  
34 2002 Seiji Ozawa, conductor
Kaori Kimura (木村 かをり), pianist		  
35 2003 Ichiro Nodaira (野平 一郎), composer Ichiro Nodaira website
36 2004 Akira Nishimura, composer  
37 2005 Hidemi Suzuki, cellist and conductor  
38 2006 Tokyo Philharmonic Chorus (東京混声合唱団) Tokyo Philharmonic Chorus website (in Japanese)
39 2007 Toshio Hosokawa, composer  
40 2008 Yumi Koyama (小山 由美), mezzo-soprano  
41 2009 Kazushi Ōno, conductor  
42 2010 Yoshio Watanabe (渡邊順生), harpsichordist  
43 2011 not awarded  
44 2012 Mihoko Fujimura, mezzo-soprano  
45 2013 Masaaki Suzuki and the Bach Collegium Japan  
46 2014 Junichi Hirokami and the Kyoto Symphony Orchestra  
47 2015 Toppan Hall  
48 2016 Yu Kosuge, pianist  
49 2017 Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra  
50 2018 Ken Takaseki (高関健), conductor  
51 2019 Hisako Kawamura (河村尚子), pianist  
52 2020 Masahiro Miwa (三輪眞弘), composer  
53 2021 Yoshimichi Hamada (濱田芳通), direction, recorder, cornet  
54 2022 Michiyoshi Inoue, conductor  
55 2023 Jō Kondō, composer