Japanese musician Nakahashi Yuki won second prize in the composition division at the Geneva International Music Competition on Wednesday.
The prestigious competition is viewed as a gateway to a professional career for young musicians.
The prizewinners were selected from among 97 contestants from 37 countries.
Works by Nakahashi and the two other finalists were performed by a mixed chorus.
Nakahashi’s 15-minute piece is themed on stories from the Bible. Six singers used their voices to express the sounds of waves and animals’ cries.
The performance was met with a roar of applause.
Nakahashi told NHK he is happy that his free style of composition was accepted.
The 27-year-old composer is from Toyama Prefecture in central Japan. He began writing music in high school. He currently studies at the Paris conservatory.
South Korea’s Kim Shin won the top prize.