de Blasiis Chamber Series Presents: Pianist Kotaro Fukuma
- contemporary classical
- classical piano
- japanese classical
- impressionism
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$28 / $10 students
At the age of 20, Kotaro Fukuma became the first Japanese pianist to win the Cleveland International Piano Competition and receive the Chopin Prize. He studied at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, the Berlin University of the Arts, and the International Piano Academy Lake Como.
Kotaro has given recitals at venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Wigmore Hall, the Berlin Konzerthaus, Salle Gaveau, and Suntory Hall. He has performed with orchestras in Japan and abroad, including the Cleveland Orchestra, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Dresden Philharmonic, Tonkünstler Orchestra, and NHK Symphony Orchestra, with a repertoire of more than 50 piano concertos. In July 2016, he stepped in on short notice for the late Nelson Freire to perform Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, conducted by Tugan Sokhiev, earning great acclaim. His activities also include collaborations with figure skaters such as Stéphane Lambiel and performances in Paris with Paris Opéra Ballet étoile Mathieu Ganio.
Kotaro has released numerous recordings, including the “Beethoven Sonata Album” (Naxos). His 2023 release, “In Search of Fantasy – Scriabin & Rachmaninoff” (Naxos), was nominated for the International Classical Music Awards in Europe. On September 13, 2024, he released his 20th album, “Memories of Chopin” (Naxos), in Japan and Europe to mark the 20th anniversary of his Japanese debut.
He produces the “Rare Piano Music” concert series, showcasing unusual piano works, and is a radio personality for OTTAVA and Bravo Web Station. On his YouTube channel, he shares performance videos, educational commentary, and live streams. Active in Japan and abroad, he is known for his diverse repertoire, expressive power, conceptual programming, and ability to communicate in five languages. His media appearances include TV Asahi’s Tetsuko no Heya and Untitled Concert, and NHK’s Classic Music Hall and Classic Club. He is the recipient of the 39th Japan Chopin Association Award and the 2024 Albéniz Medal (Spain).