Kotaro Fukuma

Born in Toyko, Kotaro Fukuma began playing the piano at the age of five. He continued his studies at the Conservatoire de Paris, the Berlin University of the Arts and the International Piano Academy Lake Como in Italy. Kotaro Fukuma’s teachers include Mitsuko Uchida, Maria João Pires, Aldo Ciccolini and others whose masterclasses he attended. He had already won several accolades before he won 1st prize and the Chopin prize at the 15th Cleveland International Piano Competition. This success opened doors to some of the world’s greatest concert venues such as the Lincoln Center in New York, the Konzerthaus in Berlin, the Salle Olivier Messiaen in Paris and the Suntory Hall in Tokyo. His solo performances have been accompanied by renowned orchestras such as the Cleveland Orchestra, the Dresden Philharmonic, the Orchestre National d'Île de France, the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra and the New Japan Philharmonic. A passionate interpreter of new music, Kotaro Fukuma has premiered several works by Toru Takemitsu, Mutsuo Shishido, Renaud Gagneux, Thierry Huillet, Einojuhani Rautavaara and Francesco Milita – to name but a few. His recordings of works by Schumann, Takemitsu, Liszt and Albéniz appear on 5 CDs. Kotaro Fukuma gave a solo performance as part of the Young Euro Classic piano festival in 2010.