Aya SAKAMOTO

Born in Japan, Aya has started playing the piano at age of 6.
After gaining Bachelor’s degree from the Tokyo University of Arts where she studied with Prof. Susumu Aoyagi, she has then moved to Germany to study at the Berlin University of Arts (UdK Berlin) with Prof. Pascal Devoyon, Rikako Murata and Prof. Gottlieb Wallisch.

She has been awarded many prizes in many national and international competitions, including ; “Iturbi Prize” (Valéncia) 2017, “Sendai” (Japan) 2016, “Artur Schnabel” (Berlin) 2013. She was the 1st prize winner of the Amigdala International Piano Competition (Catania) 2017, Matsukata hall music award (Kobe, Japan) 2017 and All Japan Student music competition (Tokyo) 2003 & 2005.

As a soloist as well as a chamber musician, she enjoys having an active career. Aya is invited regularly to perform in Europe and Asia in renowned concert venues; at the Central music School of the Tchaikovsky conservatory Moscow, Japanese Embassy in Germany, and the Imperial Palace in Tokyo for the Japanese Empress. As a guest soloist she has also appeared on stage with many orchestras, such as the Valéncia Orchestra, Murcia Symphony Orchestra, Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra and Geidai Philharmonic Orchestra.

For her studies in Berlin she has gained scholarships from Meiji Yasuda Cultural Foundation, Japanese Government and Gisela Erich Andreas Stiftung.

From 2019, she started to teach the piano at the University of Arts Tokyo (Geidai) as a docent.