Japanese cellist wins world's top competition

(AFP PHOTO BORIS HORVAT)

Japan's Dai Miyata, 23, won the Ninth Rostropovich cello competition at the final on Saturday in Paris, among the 64 musicians who competed in this year's event, organisers said.

The winner of what is considered the world's top cello competition will receive a prize of 10,000 euros (14,845 dollars).

The jury, headed by Polish composer and conductor Krzysztop Penderecki, awarded Jakob Koranyi of Sweden, 26, second place in the competition with a 7,000-euro prize as well another prize of 2,500 euros for best interpretation of Shostakovich's first concerto for cello.

Third place in the competition went to 22-year-old German Norbert Anger, and Sietse-Jan Weijenberg, 26, of the Netherlands took fourth place.

A concert by the winners will take place Sunday at the Salle Pleyel in the French capital with the participation of the Paris Orchestra.

This year's competition was the first since the death in April 2007 of the Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich.

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