Izumiko AOYAGI, Pianist-Writer

She long studied piano with Kazuko Yasukawa of the Tokyo University of the Arts and Pierre Barbizet of the Marseille Conservatoire. She finished the program with the premier prix at the Marseille Conservatoire, and continued studies and obtained a doctorate of Arts and Sciences from the graduate school of Tokyo University of the Arts. In 1989, she was awarded the prize  of ACA National Arts Festival given by  the Agency for Cultural Affairs, a governmental bureau of Japan, to her recital “Cruel Tenderness/Zankoku-na-yasashisa” that contained a program covering the Japan's contemporary piano pieces at that time by Akio Yashiro, Yoshio Hachimura, and Toru Takemitsu. 

As a concert pianist and writer, she has attracted the attention of the public for her excellent multi-faced performances in her parallel careers. She has to date recorded quite many CDs, of which 18 have been selected for “Special Choices of the Month” by the classical music review magazine “The Record Geijutsu”. In her capacity as a writer, she received the 9th Hidekazu Yoshida Prize in 1999 for “Winged Fingers”, the biography of Kazuko Yasukawa, her piano mentor. She also received the 49th Essayists’ Prize for the biography of write Mizuho Aoyagi, her grandfather, and Kodansha Essay Prize for "Six-fingered Goldberg", Music Penclub prize for her CD "Romantic Debussy". 

Her recent books include "Yuji Takahashi, a Monster of Music" from Kawade-Shobo-Shinsha Publishing, "The last year of Debussy" from Chuo-Koron-Shinsha Publishing, "Asagaya-Ataride-Oozake-Nonda/Booze at around Asagaya: Scribes meet with scribes" (Heibonsha), CDs "Umi/La Mer" (OTTAVA), "Debussy's Dream" and "Monogatari/L'histoires" (ALM). In 2021, a book "Hana-wo-Kiku, Hana-wo-Yomi/Écoutez les fleurs" (Getsuyosha Publishing) and a CD "Flower Album" (ALM) were published simultaneously.

She is an executive board member of Japan Federation of Musicians and of Frederic Chopin Society of Japan. Currently she is a professor emeritus of Osaka College of Music and a lecturer of Kobe College. Official HP http://ondine-i.net OfficialFacebook  http://ja-jap.facebook.com/aoyagi.izumiko

Tomomichi WATANABE, Pianist-Composer

Born in Beppu City, Oita Prefecture, he released his first album 'Tomomichi Watanabe Bach & Chopin' in 2019. He released his second album 'Classic Recording' in 2021.  He used a 1912 New York Steinway ‘CD75’, a legendary piano loved by the master pianist Horowitz, who toured the world with the piano. In addition to his activities as a soloist, he continues concerto guest, chamber musician, and accompanist. He also continues to compose music.

Rumi Matsui, Soprano

After graduating from Kobe College Graduate School of Music, she completed her studies at the Conservatoire de Cergy-Pontoise, France, with the highest unanimous score from the jury. After returning to Japan, she entered the doctoral program at Kyoto City University of Arts. D. program at Kyoto City University of Arts. Her doctoral thesis on Verlaine's poetry and her degree application recital were accepted, and she was awarded a doctorate (music). In 2021, she appeared in the Recital Series of the Project for the Development of Up-and-Coming Musicians, sponsored by the Japan Federation of Musicians' Associations and the Agency for Cultural Affairs. She gave her debut recital at Sumitomo Seimei Izumi Hall. She received many awards including the Excellence Prize and the Jury President's Prize at the 12th KOBE International Music Competition, the Sakai Kuzuryu Music Prize at the 7th Sakai Kuzuryu Music Competition, and the 3rd Prize (without 2nd Prize) at the French Song Competition in Le Mans, France. 2015 Diploma from the International Academy of Nice, France. 2016 Diploma in Songwriting by Mitsuko Shirai. She received a scholarship to participate in a singing workshop for selected duos by Mitsuko Shirai (Turenne, France), and completed the Francis Poulenc Academy in 2017 and 2018. In addition to opera, she has performed with the Kyoto Symphony Orchestra and others in Faure's "Requiem" and Beethoven's “Ninth Symphony". She is also active as a religious music soloist. She is a member of the Kyoto French Song Society, the Kansai Song Study Group, and an associate member of the Kansai Nikikai. She is a part-time lecturer at Osaka University of Arts, Department of Performance.