Winner's Speech | Sáya Yí | The Battle of Strings | Schubert International Music Competition UK 2026
Updated: 13 minutes ago
🎉 We extend our warmest congratulations to Sáya Yí (Seonhwa Lee/Yi), a gifted young composer from Korea, on winning the Gold Prize at the Schubert International Music Competition UK 2026 Season 2 (23 March – 23 June 2026) for her composition The Battle of Strings.
In her acceptance statement, Sáya described the inspiration and journey behind her winning piece:
"Hello, I'm Seonhwa Lee/Yi and this is my first award in composition under my composer name Sáya Yí. Although I've already released a few singles, I feel like finally my composer identity is born with this award!"
"Actually, I started composing The Battle of Strings' first movement 5 years ago, then stopped. Because I wasn't composing within the standard sonata form, but only with the image of 'Strings are fighting' in mind - that's where I was stuck. I could imagine how the battle starts and suddenly ends, but no middle. The development part just couldn't proceed further. Thus, despite many drafts and attempts, it was left in the corner of my laptop for long times."
"Finally this year, I suddenly thought 'How about not all instruments start the battle at the same time, but a sudden interruption of another Violin or Viola?', then everything moved on. Even the second movement was created within a few weeks, not years anymore. It was very strange feeling - for many days I was desperate, wondering 'will I ever complete this piece?', and that work just received a Gold Prize."
"I am truly honored, and glad that I didn't give up. To all my composer friends, please look back your note. There might be an unfinished future gem!"
The Schubert International Music Competition UK is a global online competition open to musicians of all ages and nationalities. Inspired by the legacy of Franz Schubert, the competition welcomes participants across all musical categories, instruments, styles, and creative disciplines. Through video submissions, artists worldwide can gain international recognition, celebrate artistic excellence, and share their musical artistry with a global audience. Apply Now: www.schubertcompetition.com
