The inaugural Ke'alohi International Piano Competition 2022 First Prize

Ryota Yamazaki (Japan)

Born in Fukushima, Japan, Ryota Yamazaki began piano studies at age seven. He has won numerous awards including 1st prize in the Thomas & Evon Cooper International Competition (2016), Grand Prize and audience prize in the PTNA Piano Competition (2014), 1st prize at the Yasuko Fukuda Scholarship Audition (2013) and 1st prize in the Gina Bachauer International Junior Piano Competition (2012). He has performed with several orchestras including the Cleveland Orchestra, Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra and VYO Youth Orchestra. In 2015-2016 seasons, he has given solo recitals including Tokyo, Osaka, Hawaii and Italy. In the 2017-2018 seasons, he gave solo recitals in Fukushima, Los Angeles and Vienna as well as recording the complete transcendental etudes of Franz Liszt in 2020.

In 2017, Ryota enrolled as a full scholarship student at the Toho Gakuen School of Music under the tutelage of Yuko Ninomiya. He is currently studying with Fabio Bidini at the Colburn Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles.

Beethoven: Sonata in A major, Op. 101, I: Allegretto, ma non troppo Liszt: Transcendental Etude S. 139, No. 4, “Mazeppa” Paderewski: Legend in A flat major, Op. 16 No. 1 Liszt: Mephisto Waltz No. 1, S. 514 Concerto: Liszt Concerto No. 1 in E flat major