Pianists of the masterclasses

alessandro Tardino

University of Music Basel

Alessandro Tardino studied at the "Accademia Pianistica Internazionale di Imola 'Incontri col Maestro'" starting in 2003. He performed as a soloist and chamber musician at European festivals.

In 2012, he won the "Concours International de Piano de Lyon."

In 2016, he recorded a highly acclaimed DVD of Max Reger's music for Fugue State Films, together with violinist Egidius Streiff, which was awarded "DVD of the Year" by BBC Music Magazine.

In the same year, he collaborated with André Gallo on a series of CDs, which are part of a new publication for piano learning by composer Marco Di Bari.

Tardino worked as a piano accompanist at the summer courses of Pierre Amoyal at the Mozarteum in Salzburg and at the Académie de Musique Riviera in Vevey, Switzerland. Additionally, he is a répétiteur at the Musikhochschule and Musikschule Basel, and a piano teacher at the 'Goppisberg Musikfestival and Akademie' in Spiez.

Masterclass: Danjulo Ishizaka

Website: www.alessandrotardino.com

Yukie Takai

University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart

Following previous studies at the Toho-Gakuen Music Academy in Tokyo with Prof. Tsunemi Naraba and the Academy of Music, Freiburg with Prof. Hiroko Tsuruoka-Barth and Prof. Helmut Barth, Takai completed her musical education with Prof. André Marchand at the Stuttgart Academy of Music.

Alongside her activities at the Music Academies in Freiburg and Stuttgart, Takai has established herself as a much in demand répétiteur, not only at elite competitions (Geneva, ARD etc) but also at festivals and masterclasses throughout the world. As a soloist and chamber musician she performs regularly both at home and abroad and has been broadcasted on SWR and BR.

Masterclass: Sebastian Klinger

Chifuyu Yada

University of Music Munich

Born in Japan, Chifuyu Yada began to learn the piano at the age of four. Later she studied in Munich with Prof. Gerhard Oppitz and in Saarbrücken with Prof. Nerine Barrett and Prof. Bernd Glemser, during which time she was a prizewinner at the Walter-Gieseking Competition.

Following her studies, Chifuyu Yada joined the faculty at the Academy of Music in Saarland and in 1995 changed to the Academy of Music and the Performing Arts, Munich, whereshe teaches since 2008. Alongside her regular performances as a soloist and chamber musician she can also be heard on CD and radio broadcasts from SR, HR, MDR and BR.

Masterclass: Wen-Sinn Yang

Kiyoko Wakamatsu

Rostock University of Music and Theatre

The Japanese pianist Kiyoko Wakamatsu graduated from the Toho Gakuen Academy of Music in Tokyo, before studying with Peter Roggenkamp at the Lübeck Academy of Music, where she completed her post-graduate diploma in accompaniment and chamber music. During this time she augmented her education through participating in masterclasses with Arie Verdi, Vitalij Margulis und Andrzej Jasinski.

Since 2011, Wakamatsu assists Prof. Julian Steckel as répétiteur at the Academy of Music in Rostock, where she has been teaching since 1999. As a répétiteur and accompanist she has performed at internationally renowned masterclasses and competitions, including the Rostropovich Competition in Paris, and the German Music Competition.

Masterclass: Claudio Bohórquez

Yoko Kuwahara

University of Music Lübeck

Yoko Kuwahara was born in Japan. She graduated from Toho Gakuen Highschool of Music and studied with Prof. Keiko Tekeuchi and Prof. Ikuyo Nakamichi at the Toho Gakuen Academy of Music in Tokyo. In 2013, she continued her studies at the Musikhochschule Lübeck with Prof. Konstanze Eickhorst, successfully passed the master's examination in 2016 and in 2019 after her training with Prof. Inge-Susann Römhild the Master of Music Korrepetition .

As a concert pianist, she gives numerous concerts in Japan, Belgium, France, Italy, Israel and Germany and performs as Soloist and also  chamber music.

Since 2017 and 2019, she is faculty as accompanist at the Musikhochschule Lübeck and at the Hochschule für Musik und Theatre Rostock in several instrumental classes.

Masterclass: Natalie Clein

Mana Oguchi

University of Music Hanns Eisler Berlin

Mana Oguchi is a pianist hailing from Sapporo, Japan. She earned her degrees from Tokyo University of the Arts and studied with Professors Markus Becker and Karl-Heinz Kämmerling in Hanover.

Oguchi's performances as a soloist and chamber musician have taken her to prestigious festivals such as the Budapest Spring Festival and the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival. She has been awarded scholarships from the YAMAHA Music Foundation, DAAD, the Japanese government, and the German Music Council.

Besides being an accomplished piano accompanist, Oguchi teaches at universities in Hanover and Berlin's Hanns Eisler School of Music.

Masterclass: Jakob Spahn

Website: www.manaoguchi.com

Nicolai Gerassimez

University of music Hanns Eisler berlin

Nicolai Gerassimez has established himself as one of the leading pianists of his generation as a soloist and chamber musician. He received great attention when he won both 2010 and again in 2012 when he won 1st prize at the German Music Competition.

Solo concerts and recitals have taken him to the most prestigious music centers in Europe and the USA, as well as to important international festivals.

He studied with Prof. Galina Ivanzova and with Prof. Matthias Kirschnereit, graduating with honors in his piano diploma and his master's degree in chamber music.

Since 2018 he has been teaching at the University of Music "Hanns Eisler" Berlin.

Masterclass: Attila Pasztor & Denis Severin

Website: www.nicolaigerassimez.de

Julien le PApe

Conservatory of Boulogne-Billancourt

After his studies at the Paris Conservatory, the French pianist reached the finals of the Clara Haskil Competition in 1999. This was followed by solo engagements in France, Japan, and the United States. In addition to theater productions with Didier Sandre, Fanny Cottençon, and Shiro Saito, Le Pape has contributed to numerous CD recordings as a chamber music partner. His complete recording of Maurice Ravel's chamber music with the Ensemble Sésame received top awards in 2022 (Choc de Classica, 5 Diapasons).

Le Pape teaches piano accompaniment and sight-reading at the Regional Conservatory of Boulogne-Billancourt.

Masterclass: Marc Coppey