PhD student Sumio Kobayashi won the first prize of nearly £20,000 at the International Composers’ Competition of the European Capital of Culture 2016 at Wroclaw in Poland.

The top prize of nearly £20,000 was the third international music prize Sumio won last year. He previously won first prize in composition at the Busan Maru International Music Festival competition in South Korea and third prize at the Weimar Spring Festival of Contemporary Music.

The International Composers Competition in Wroclaw attracted entrants from around the world, and was judged by established classical music composers from France, Italy and Poland. Sumio’s winning composition was entitled ‘Music by Krasnale’.

Music composition is related to Sumio’s PhD research in Linguistics at Kent’s School of European Culture and Languages, which examines the relationship between speech rhythm and music.

For details on the winners, jury and competition, please see the dedicated website