In May 2026, the Basel Sinfonietta launched a composition competition for Swiss composers under 30 years of age. The jury has now selected a winner: Paul Taro Schmidt.
The 27-year-old musician, based in Switzerland, impressed the jury, comprised of members of the Basel Sinfonietta's program committee and Principal Conductor Titus Engel. "Paul Taro Schmidt convinced us on the jury because his innovative fusion of contemporary music, electronics, and pop culture creates a unique, forward-looking sound," explains Titus Engel. "He is one of the most exciting composers of the younger generation, and we are very much looking forward to his new work!"
The winner is also deeply moved by this award: “I am incredibly happy to have the opportunity to write a new work for this wonderful ensemble,” says Paul Taro Schmidt. He continues: “Given the orchestra’s openness to new ideas, I am particularly looking forward to trying out all the extended playing techniques that I haven’t dared to write for other ensembles before, because I didn’t know if they would even be playable. But the Basel Sinfonietta can play anything!”
Paul Taro Schmidt will compose a 10-minute work for the Basel Sinfonietta. The competition prize includes 5,000 Swiss francs and a performance of the composition at the Basel Sinfonietta's 2027/28 season opening concert on September 19, 2027, at the Stadtcasino Basel.
The Basel Sinfonietta would like to thank all applicants to the Basel Sinfonietta Competition for their participation.
Paul Taro Schmidt is a German-Japanese musician and composer currently living in Zurich. His work is characterized by a subtle approach to timbre and resonance, as well as a pronounced sensitivity to multimedia collaboration. In his artistic practice, Schmidt combines expressions from the glitch music scene with elements of traditional Japanese music, moving between different artistic practices and identities. He studied composition at the Zurich University of the Arts with Germán Toro Pérez, Mathias Steinauer, and Olav Lervik. He then continued his studies at the Royal Conservatoire of Music in The Hague, where he studied composition with Peter Adriaansz, Silvia Borzelli, and Yannis Kyriakides, and electronic music with Bjarni Gunnarsson and Sergio Luque. He also studied with Lauri Kilpiö at the Sibelius Academy.
