SEPF Guest Artist Yoshikazu Nagai

Yoshikazu Nagai

Yoshikazu Nagai

Praised by audiences and critics alike for his fresh interpretations and dramatic presentation style, pianist YOSHIKAZU NAGAI has performed as soloist and chamber musician internationally in such venues as the Shanghai Concert Hall in China, National Recital Hall in Taiwan, Carnegie Recital Hall in New York, Kennedy Center's Terrace Theatre and The National Gallery. His recital schedule in recent seasons have included performances in Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, Hong Kong, Canada, Italy, Chicago, San Francisco, San Antonio, New York, Seattle, New Orleans, and Washington D.C. among others. Mr. Nagai has also appeared at the Aspen Music Festival, the Sarasota Music Festival, Spoleto Music Festival, the Philips Collection, the International Piano Series in Charleston, and in recent collaborations with the Ives Quartet, violinists Robert Mann, and Anthony Marwood. In addition, he is a frequent soloist with orchestras throughout the U.S. and his performances have been broadcast on National Public Radio's "Performance Today", RAI (Italian National TV), and Hong Kong National Radio amongst others.

Mr. Nagai won first prize at the Washington International Piano Competition and is also a major prizewinner of the San Antonio, Missouri Southern, New Orleans, IBLA Grand Prize International Piano Competitions, and the Concert Artists Guild International Music Competition.

Mr. Nagai is currently Professor of Piano and Chamber Music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and summer faculty at the Eastern Music Festival and former piano faculty member at the Interlochen Arts Academy. He has also taught at the Amalfi Coast Music Festival in Italy, Shanghai International Piano Festival and Beijing International Festival in China, Chautauqua and Summit Music Festival in NY, and Cincinnati Conservatory’s “Art of the Piano”. Recognized by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts (NFAA) for excellence in teaching, he frequently gives masterclasses and serves as juror throughout the United States, Europe and Asia including recent jury member of the 2012 Gina Bachauer International Junior and Young Artists Piano Competition.

Current and former students of Mr. Nagai are top prizewinners of national and international competitions including the Lev Vlassenko, Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Piano Competition, Music Teacher's National Association Piano Competition, Nina Wideman, King Award Young Artists Competition, Missouri Southern, Heida Hermanns, and Corpus Christi Young Artists International Piano Competitions.

Mr. Nagai studied with John Perry at Rice University and received his master of music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music where he was awarded the Malvina Podis Prize in Piano upon graduation. Other teachers include Paul Schenly, Sergei Babayan and Duane Hulbert.