Yu Nitahara - Sydney International Piano Competition

Background

Nationality Japan

Place of Birth Fukuoka

Date of Birth October 23, 1990

Prizes

2020 Third Prize: International Mozart Competition (Salzburg, Austria)

2019 First Prize, Piano: Morocco Philharmonic Orchestra International Music Competition (Casablanca, Morocco)

2019 First Prize: Swedish International Duo Competition – Violin and Piano (Katrineholm, Sweden)

2018 Prize for the Best Piano Accompanist: Enescu International Competition (Bucharest, Romania)

2017 First Prize: Johann Nepomuk Hummel International Piano Competition (Bratislava, Slovakia)

Yu Nitahara graduated with honours from the Tokyo University of the Arts (Geidai) with a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Music, studying under Professors Michiko Kasuya-Ohno and Akira Eguchi.

Yu has performed widely throughout his native Japan as well as other Asian and European countries. He has made appearances in major European festival such as Gstaad Menuhin Festival in Switzerland, Schleswig-Holstein Festival in Germany, Zilina Allegretto Festival in Slovakia, and has performed in major halls such as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and the Groβer Saal of the Mozarteum, Salzburg. He has appeared as a soloist with the Morocco Philhamonic Orchestra, Slovakia Philhamonic Orchestra, Gstaad Menuhin Festival Orchestra, Salzburg Orchestra Soloists, Kyusyu Symphony Orchestra and Geidai Philhamonic Orchestra in Japan. He also enjoys performing as a chamber musician.

Yu is currently furthering his formal studies in Austria at the University Mozarteum Salzburg under Professor Pavel Gililov, with a full scholarship from the Japanese Cultural Affairs and Meiji Yasuda Cultural Foundation.

Gallery

Upcoming Competition Repertoire

Preliminaries

Preliminary Round 1: 20-Minute Recital

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Sonata No.3 in B♭ Major K.281

I. Allegro
II. Andante amoroso
III. Allegro

Carl Vine: from Five Bagatelles

I. Darkly

II. Leggiero e legato

Sergei Prokofiev: from Four Études Op.2

I. Allegro

Preliminary Round 2: 30-Minute Recital

Olivier Messiaen: from Quatre Études de rythme

I. Ile de Feu I

Robert Schumann: Carnaval Op.9

I. Préambule

II. Pierrot

III. Arlequin

IV. Valse noble

V. Eusebius

VI. Florestan

VII. Coquette

VIII. Réplique (Sphinxes)

IX. Papillons

X. A.S.C.H. – S.C.H.A.: Lettres Dansantes

XI. Chiarina

XII. Chopin

XIII. Estrella

XIV. Reconnaissance

XV. Pantalon et Colombine

XVI. Valse allemande

XVII. Paganini

XVIII. Aveu

XIX. Promenade

XX. Pause

XXI. Marche des Davidsbündler contre les Philistins

Semi-Finals

Semi Finals Round 1: 65-Minute Recital

Claude Debussy: from Préludes Book 1 L.117

V. Les collines d’Anacapri

V. Des pas sur la neige

VII. Ce qu’a vu le vent d’Ouest

IX. La séréade interrompue

X. La Cathédrale engloutie

XI..La danse de Puck

XII. Minstrels

Franz Schubert: Piano Sonata in A Major D.959

I. Allegro
II. Andantino
III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace – Trio. Un poco più lento
IV. Rondo. Allegretto

Semi Final Round 2: Chamber Music

Richard Strauss: Sonata for Violin and Piano in E♭ Major Op.18

I. Allegro, ma non troppo

II. Improvisation: Andante cantabile

III. Finale: Andante – Allegro

Fritz Kreisler: Three Old Viennese Dances

III. Schön Rosmarin

OR Johannes Brahms: Sonata for Cello and Piano No.2 in F Major Op.99

I. Allegro vivace

II. Adagio affettuoso

III. Allegro passionate

IV. Allegro molto

David Popper: Concert-Études Op.55

I. Spinning Song

Finals

Final Round 1: Concerto with String Orchestra

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Concerto No.13 in C Major K.415

I. Allegro

II. Andante

III. Rondeau. Allegro

Final Round 2: Concerto with Symphony Orchestra

Maurice Ravel: Piano Concerto in G Major

I. Allegramente
II. Adagio assai
III. Presto