~From 11:00a.m. on weekdays, making authentic classical music more familiar and more interesting~
Eleven Classics Vol.3 AOI Trio

June.9.2021 / 11:00am (Open 10:20am)

Saitama Arts Theater / Concert Hall

Kyoko Ogawa (Violin), Yu Ito (Cello), Kosuke Akimoto (Piano),
Naoki Hayashida (Navigator)

Elgar: Love’s Greeting(Salut d’amour)
Mozart: Piano Trio No. 4 in B-flat major, KV 502
Mendelssohn: Piano Trio No. 2 in C minor, Op. 66
〈There will be a talk time to make the music more interesting〉

Saitama Arts Foundation

Piano trio: AOI Trio
“『Three great players with very high individual skills』, and 『The Sound and Spirit as a piano trio』. These are the two elements that makes a excellent piano trio, and they were a perfect balance.”
-Vincent Coq (Trio Wanderer, pianist) –

“With a wide range of repertoire, they are remarkably multi-talented and plays with great insight.”
−＜The Strad＞−

“The young and talented Aoi Trio performs a wide range of music. Their energetic and skillful performances spans classical and contemporary works from Europe to Asia.”
−＜Deutchlandfunk＞−

The first Japanese group to win the first prize in the piano trio category at the 67th Munich International Music Competition, this piano trio is currently attracting the most attention.
They met at Tokyo University of the Arts and Suntory Hall Chamber Music Academy, and formed the group in 2016. The name “AOI” comes from the first letters of the three members’ last names, and it also comes from a flower word, “Ambition, Abundant Fruitfulness.
Following the successful performance at Suntory Hall to celebrate their victory in the competition, they have performed at Toppan Hall, Kioi Hall, philia Hall, Biwako Hall, Munetsugu Hall, Fukinoto Hall, Hyogo Performing Arts Center, Atorion Akita, Actcity Hamamatsu, Munich, Bayreuth, Baden-Baden, Cologne, Hitzacker Festival, etc.
This season, they will perform at the Phoenix Hall of ADI, Biwako Hall, Munetsugu Hall, Regensburg, Hamburg, and other European cities in Italy and France. They are also scheduled to perform Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra in 2021.
They have released two CDs from Meister Music, 「Haydn No. 27 & Schubert No. 2」 and 「Beethoven No. 1 & Mendelssohn No. 2」, both of which were selected as special discs by The Record Geijutsu magazine and received favorable reviews.
They received the 28th Aoyama Music Award Baroque Saal Prize and the 29th Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Music Award Fresh Artist Prize (Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Music Award is renamed Nippon Steel Music Award from April 2019).
They have studied with Kei Itoh, Kenji Nakagi, Wakako Hanada, Koichiro Harada, Masafumi Hori, Katsuya Matsubara, and Nobuko Yamazaki. They are currently based in Germany, studying under D. Mommerz of the Fauré Quartet at the University of Music and Theater Munich, and is active in Japan and abroad.
Official website: https://aoitrio.com/

Kyoko Ogawa / Violin
Studied at Tokyo University and received the master’s degree at the same University. Won the first prize in the String Section and the Audience Award at the 10th Tokyo Music Competition. She has been active in various fields such as solo, chamber music, orchestra, and community programs, and has performed with many orchestras including the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, New Japan Philharmonic, Japan Philharmonic, and Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. She has performed as a soloist with Anne-Sophie Mutter, Seiji Ozawa, Naoto Otomo, Toshiaki Umeda, and Takeshi Ooi. As a chamber musician, she has performed with Koichiro Harada, Kazuhide Isomura, Kikuei Ikeda, Michie Koyama, Nobuko Yamazaki, and Yoshiko Kawamoto. She is a fellow of the third and fourth terms of the Suntory Hall Chamber Music Academy. She will be a student at the Karajan Academy of the Berlin Philharmonic until January 2021, where she will receive instruction from Daishin Kashimoto.

Yu Ito / Cello
Studied at Tokyo University and received the master’s degree at the same University. Won the first prize in the Cello Division of the 77th Japan Music Competition and the Tokunaga Prize. As Quartet Arpa, he won the Career Development Awards at the Banff International String Quartet Competition 2016. He has performed with orchestras such as the Nagaokakyo Chamber Ensemble, the Kansai Philharmonic Orchestra, the Japan Century Symphony Orchestra, the Kobe City Chamber Orchestra, and the Geidai Philharmonic Orchestra. He has participated in the Seiji Ozawa Music Academy Orchestra, Takefu International Music Festival, Kitakyushu International Music Festival, Miyazaki International Music Festival, Spring Festival in Tokyo, Suntory Hall Chamber Music Garden, etc. He is a third term fellow of the Suntory Hall Chamber Music Academy. Currently a student at the University of Music and Theater Munich.

Kosuke Akimoto / Piano
Studied at Tokyo University and received the master’s degree at the same University. He has won the second prize at the 2nd Rosario Marciano International Piano Competition and the special prize at the 10th Paderewski International Piano Competition. He has performed as solo recitals, solo performances with orchestras, and chamber music throughout Japan and Europe. His CD featuring Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring” in piano duo with his teacher, Hiroshi Arimori, was released in June 2017, and recommended as a special edition by The Record Geijutsu magazine. From 2019, he is an overseas music trainee of the Meiji Yasuda Quality of Life Cultural Foundation. He is currently enrolled at the Munich University of Music and Theater as part of the AOI Trio, and is also studying for his doctorate at the Tokyo University of the Arts.

Naoki Hayashida / Navigator
Born in Saitama Prefecture in 1963. Music journalist and critic. He has written on a wide range of subjects centered on classical music, including opera, ballet, ancient music, and modern music. He is the author of 「René Martin: The Art of Producing」 (Artes Publishing) and other books. Appeared on the Internet radio programs 「OTTAVA」 and 「Cafe Figaro」. Serialized in the monthly magazine 「Sarai」 (Shogakukan) and other publications. He is also an editorial advisor for the 「Web Magazine ONTOMO」 (ONGAKU NO TOMO SHA).