Yuki ItoYuki Ito

Yuki Ito won 1st prize at both the International Brahms Competition in 2010 and the UK’s most prestigious Windsor Festival International String Competition in 2011, which led him to commence an international career. Since his debut with the Philharmonia Orchestra, he has performed around the globe at such venues as Wigmore Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival and Suntory Hall as soloist with esteemed orchestras and to give recitals. His performances have been internationally hailed by important critiques as “Sensational…His rubato is refined and intelligently complements the underlying harmonic movement” (Strad Magazine, UK), “Extraordinarily poetic accompanied by a wonderful singing tone” (Ensemble Magazine, Germany), “Ito plays with notable maturity and taste” (American Record Guide, USA). Amongst many distinguished artists with whom he has collaborated, he has established profound musical relationship particularly with the world-renowned composer/conductor Johan de Meij, having a new work for cello and orchestra “Elegy & Scherzo – A Tribute to Sergei Rachmaninoff“ written for him and performing together on global scenes including the world-wide album “Casanova” (Complete Works for Cello and Orchestra). His performing career has always been imbued with Rachmaninoff’s music – having released his world-wide debut album “Rachmaninoff : Complete Cello Works” in 2012, he internationally gave “All Rachmaninoff” recitals every year towards the composer’s 150th birth anniversary in 2023, which was complemented by publishing his first book: a monograph “Thoughts on Rachmaninoff”. As conductor Yuki Ito made his conducting debut at London’s St Martin-in-the-Fields in 2013 with Julian Lloyd Webber as soloist, and in 2016 he led the initial Japan tour of Camerata Luanda from Republic of Angola to success, a historical event which marked the first tour in Japan ever by an African orchestra. He was awarded the “Hideo Saito Memorial Award” in 2019, one of the most honourable music awards in Japan, for his service to music.

(As of Dec 2024, 300 words)