Japanese musician Dai Miyata has captured what is considered the world's top cello competition, the Concours Rostropovich.

The 23-year-old cellist was declared the winner of the ninth instalment of the competition Saturday night in Paris. The event has been held every four years since its inception in 1981.

Miyata earned 10,000 euros ($15,900) after placing first ahead of 63 other musicians.

Mstislav Rostropovich, pictured here performing with a Japanese orchestra in 2004, passed away in 2007 at age 80. His eponymous competition is run every four years. (Kazuhiro Nogi/Associated Press)

Jakob Koranyi of Sweden, 26, took the 7,000-euro second prize. He also garnered another award of 2,500 euros for best interpretation of Shostakovich's Cello Concerto No. 1.

Third place in the competition went to German Norbert Anger, while Sietse-Jan Weijenberg of the Netherlands took fourth.

This year's contest was the first since the April 2007 death of Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich at age 80 from stomach cancer. The competition is held in his honour.

Born in Baku, Azerbaijan, Rostropovich left what was then the Soviet Union in 1974 for the United States. His father was the famous conductor and cellist Leopold Rostropovich.

Considered one of the 20th century's top cellists, Mstislav Rostropovich served as the musical director and conductor of the U.S. National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C., from 1977 to 1994.

He won many accolades, including France's Legion of Honour and the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom, and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.

Although his last place of residence was Paris, Rostropovich had homes in New York state, Moscow, London and Lausanne, Switzerland.