Basel International Online Music Competition-Supraleitung competition

Supraleitung Methode Japan®︎ Vocal Competition 2026

Preliminary Round By August 10, 2026 Apply ← click

Preliminary Round Participation Fee

Overseas participants must pay via PayPal

Purpose

The competition aims to cultivate singers who have mastered foundational vocal techniques and breathing methods, possess performance skills suitable for international stages, have a wide repertoire, and demonstrate rich expressive abilities.

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Schedule

Preliminary Round – Video Judging (YouTube Private Link)

•Application Deadline: Monday, August 10, 2026

•Preliminary Results Announcement: Monday, August 24, 2026

Final Round – Live Performance

•Date: Saturday, September 26, 2026

•Venue: Denenchofu NOAH Piano Salon (Tokyo)

Final Results Announcement

•Sunday, October 18, 2026

•Published on our official website

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Judges

•Noriko Kawamura

•Qiu Shuwei

•Tatsuya Takahashi

•Miju Kim

•Akiko Yamaguchi

Noriko Kawamura, Mezzo-Soprano

Noriko Kawamura is the Director of the Swiss Vocal Method Research Association – Japan Branch. A graduate of the Department of Vocal Music at the Tokyo University of the Arts, she was recognized for her exceptional sensitivity to the German repertoire and was recommended by the renowned conductor Jun Märkl to further her artistic development in Germany.

Celebrated for her compelling emotional depth and persuasive expressiveness, Kawamura has been praised as a captivating mezzo-soprano. Following her appearance at the Bayreuth Festival, she built an active performance career across Europe, receiving high acclaim from the international press.

She later undertook advanced vocal studies in Basel, Switzerland, under Edit Siegfried Szabo, a leading authority in the Swiss vocal method. In 2020, she formally founded Supraleitung Methode Japan®, the official Japan Branch of this vocal methodology. She has since guided numerous students to leading music universities and international competitions around the world, while also receiving invitations for masterclasses abroad—establishing herself as both a distinguished performer and an internationally respected educator.

Qiu Shuwei – Soprano

Qiu Shuwei received the Diplôme Supérieur from the École Normale de Musique de Paris with unanimous jury approval. Since 2002, she has been a professor in the Vocal Department of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.
Internationally acclaimed for her interpretation and research of French art songs, she has received numerous honors including the French Order of Arts and Letters (Chevalier). She has performed and collaborated with distinguished musicians across Europe, Asia, and the United States, and has given numerous masterclasses and academic lectures worldwide.
Her recording Qiu Shuwei Sings Ravel is held in the Library of Congress. In recent years, she has published several authoritative collections of Debussy and Ravel art songs, contributing significantly to vocal pedagogy and scholarship.

Akiko Yamaguchi – Soprano

Akiko Yamaguchi graduated from Kobe College and earned both her diploma and postgraduate degree (with highest honors) from the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory of Music in Milan. She won First Prize at the 49th Japan–Italy Vocal Competition and received top prizes at several international competitions including the J. Aragall and G. Simionato competitions.
She made her European debut as the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro at the Teatro di Locarno in Switzerland, and has since performed extensively across Europe in opera houses and concert halls. Her repertoire includes leading roles in Madama Butterfly, Tosca, and Turandot.
In Japan, she has appeared with the Fujiwara Opera Company, NHK-FM broadcasts, and as a soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and Verdi’s Requiem. She is a member of the Nikikai Opera Foundation.

Tatsuya Takahashi – Tenor

Born in Niihama, Ehime, Japan, Tatsuya Takahashi graduated from the Tokyo University of the Arts with a degree in vocal performance (tenor). He won First Prize at the T.O.S.C.A International Vocal Competition in 2014 and performed at a gala concert in Larvik, Norway.
Based in Italy, he made his operatic debut as Manrico in Il Trovatore during the Alto Adige regional theatre tour. He has since appeared at major European opera houses including Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, Teatro Coccia di Novara, Teatro Goldoni di Livorno, and the Georgian National Opera in Tbilisi, performing leading roles in Otello, Nabucco, L’elisir d’amore, Werther, La Traviata, and Faust.
He has collaborated with renowned conductors such as Andrea Battistoni, Donato Renzetti, Fabio Luisi, and Seiji Ozawa. He is currently represented by PBMUSIC internationally and KAJIMOTO in Japan.

Kim Miju – Soprano

Kim Miju graduated with top honors from Kookmin University in Korea and pursued advanced studies in Italy at the Conservatorio di Milano, the Milan Civic Conservatory, and the Parma National Conservatory (Baroque Music). She was selected as a scholarship student for the Mirella Freni Master Class.
She is a prizewinner of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra Competition and other international competitions, and has performed leading operatic roles including La Traviata, Rigoletto, L’elisir d’amore, Così fan tutte, and Die Zauberflöte. She has appeared with the Korean National Opera, Seoul Metropolitan Opera, and major orchestras throughout Korea.
Recognized as one of Korea’s “Next Generation Vocalists,” she currently serves as an adjunct professor at Kookmin University and is the CEO of World Art.

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Eligibility

Open to all nationalities and educational backgrounds.

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Supraleitung Methode Japan®︎ Vocal Competition 2026

Basel International Online Music competition