Kobe International Flute Competition announces its 2nd phase of the 10th edition to be held online March 22 - 28

Kobe, Hyogo Japan (February 2, 2022)— Due to the current situation of the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, the Kobe International Flute Competition (KIFC) has decided to hold the second phase of its 10th edition, which was scheduled to take place in March 2022 in Kobe, online.

KIFC has explored every possible option to unfold the 10th KIFC’s second round and onward in March even after new measures for the border enforcement in response to the global spread of the Omicron variant were released by the Japanese government on November 29, 2021.

However, since suspension of foreign nationals’ new entry to Japan was extended until the end of February 2022, we determined that it is impossible for us to realize an on-site competition in Kobe. Also, since we cannot anticipate when travel restrictions would be relaxed, we decided not to re-postpone, but to execute the competition online.

This was an exceptionally difficult decision that was not made lightly. Our 26 contestants advanced to the second round have committed to this opportunity while dealing with various difficulties they confront in the midst of the pandemic. And, we believe that our decision is the best and only solution to allow all 26 contestants to participate in the competition and fulfill their challenges.

* * *

About KIFC

Established in 1985 and held every four years, the Kobe International Flute Competition (KIFC) is committed to providing young promising flutists from around the world the opportunity to launch an international career while enhancing international cultural exchanges and friendships through music. In addition, the KIFC aims to promote cultural enrichment of our community in Kobe through music. The KIFC is one of the rare competitions in the world dedicated solely to flute, becoming the first Japanese member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions in 1987.

For information about the KIFC, visit kobe-flute.jp/en/

Contact:

Secretariat for the Management Committee of the Kobe International Flute Competition

c/o Kobe Cultural Foundation

https://kobe-flute.jp/en/contact-en/

# # #