Takamatsu International Piano Competition

Susumu AOYAGI

[ Japan / Pianist ]

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He started producing a series of recitals featuring Liszt,“The Room with Liszt.” He has performed with various renowned orchestras, and held numerous chamber concerts with famous artists both here and abroad. He is currently Associate Professor of Piano at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music and Guest Professor at the Senzoku Gakuen College of Art.

Vincenzo BALZANI

[ Italy / Pianist ]

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He is an eminent Professor at “Verdi” Conservatory in Milan, often invited to many international competitions (“Viotti”, “Pozzoli”, “London”, “Madrid”, “Tchaikovsky junior”, “Parnassos” Mexico, etc.) and to courses, master classes and lectures as well. He is also Artistic Director of “Valsesia Musica”, “Monterosa - KAWAI” and “Città di Cantù” International competitions.

Shinichiro IKEBE

[ Japan / Composer ]

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He performed regularly on “NHK Symphony Hour”, the NHK TV program, for 13 years until March 2009. Shinichiro IKEBE is currently Professor at the Tokyo College of Music, general Director of the Yokohama Minato Mirai Hall and Music Director of the Tokyo Opera City.

Ikuyo KAMIYA

[ Japan / Pianist ]

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Pupil of Aiko Iguchi, Ikuyo Kamiya was a prize winner in the 1972 Queen Elizabeth International Music Competition. In 1988, she received the prestigious Arts Festival Award of Japan. “Schubert: Piano Sonata No.21” released in 2008 got the 21st Music Pen Club Japan Award.

Daejin KIM

[ Korea / Pianist ]

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KIM Daejin is one of the leading pianists and pedagogues in Korea. He won in 1985 the first prize in the prestigious 6th Robert Casadesus International Piano Competition (presently, the Cleveland Competition).
He has been on jury member for the prestigious competitions such as the Busoni, the Leeds and the Queen Elizabeth
International Competition.
In recognition of his achievements, he was awarded the Professor of the Year Award by the Music Association of Korea in 2002, and in 2006, he received a decoration for ‘the Artist of the Year’ by the Ministry of Culture in Korea. He is currently Professor at the Korean National University of Arts.

Piotr PALECZNY

[ Poland / Pianist ]

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Top prize winner at five international piano competition including Warsaw International Chopin Piano Competition in 1970. Since 1998, he has been a professor of piano at the F.Chopin University of Music in Warsaw. In 1998 he was awarded the title of Professor by the President of Poland. A jury of all recent International Frederic Chopin Piano Competitions since 1985. Artistic director of the International Chopin Piano Festival in Duszniki and artistic director of the International Paderewski Piano Competition.

Myrthala Salazar

[ México / Pianist ]

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Salazar keeps very busy as a jury in many international competitions, being the last ones, the Piano competition of Spanish Composers in Madrid, The Scriabin Competition, the Valsesia and Citta di Cantu in Italy, Princess Lalla Merien in Morocco, Merignac in Burdeos, Andorra, Gabala in Azerbaijan and Chatou international competition in France.

Mikhail VOSKRESENSKY

[ Russia / Pianist ]

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Mikhail Voskresensky is one of the leading Russian pianists. The geography of his concert activity includes all countries of Europe, USA, Japan, China, Korea and others. He recorded more than 60 CD’s and played with more than 150 conductors.
Pupil of great Lev Oborin, he is now a distinguished professor of Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, the chair of the professorship of piano faculty. His pupils won 130 prizes of the International Competitions. Very often he is a member of jury of the different International Competitions

Adam WODNICKI

[ USA / Pianist ]

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Polish-born pianist, pedagogue, recording artist and editor, ADAM WODNICKI has concertized and taught on five continents. He has served on juries of international competitions and is performance editor for the Musica Iagellonica’s Complete Works by Paderewski. Wodnicki is Regents Professor of Piano at the University of North Texas in Denton.

Shoichi YABUTA

[ Japan / Composer ]

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Shoichi Yabuta was born in Hyogo, Japan on August 17, 1983.
He received a Ph.D. in music from the Tokyo College of Music in 2011.
He won second prize in the composition section of The Music Competition of Japan every year between 2009 and 2012, and first prize for Trombone Piece of the Year in 2011.
In 2012, he was awarded the Olivier Messiaen Prize, the Tatsuno Citizen Encouragement Prize (Cultural Award), and The Best Composer Award (orchestra department) at The 100th Anniversary of The Wiener Konzerthaus Competition. He is a member of a Japanese composers' group called The 21st Century Music Group.

Kazufumi　YAMASHITA

[ Japan / Conductor ]

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In 1984, graduating from Toho Gakuen School of Music, he went to Germany to further his study of conducting at the Berlin University of the Arts. In 1986, he won the first prize at the world-renowned Nikolai-Malko International Competition for Young Conductors in Denmark.
He attracted the world's attention in 1986 when he understudied Karajan for his sudden illness and conducted the Berlin Philharmonic to perform Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in jeans. Since then, Yamashita has steadily developed his career and accomplishments by conducting various orchestras in Europe.
He continues to guest conduct various orchestras both in Japan and around the world, including the Osaka Philharmonic, Tokyo Philharmonic, Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Malmo Symphony and the Auckland Philharmonia. From 2006 he is the conductor of Sendai Philharmonic orchestra.