Japanese Conductor Wins Top French Prize

Japan’s Yoneda Satoshi, 29, won the top prize at the Besançon International Competition for Young Conductors in eastern France on Saturday. The biennial contest is considered a key gateway for emerging conductors. Yoneda, from Okayama Prefecture, was among 20 finalists, including three Japanese participants.

In the final round, he performed three challenges, including a piece commissioned specifically for the competition, impressing the audience with precise baton work and full-body movements. Yoneda, surprised by his win, hugged the jury head and described the week-long contest as tough but rewarding. He is the 11th Japanese conductor to win the prize, following OkisawaNodoka in 2019.