BREAKING | Japan’s Aoi Trio Awarded 1st Prize at 2018 ARD International Piano Trio Comp

The Aoi Trio from Japan has been awarded 1st prize at the 2018 ARD International Piano Trio Competition

The Aoi Trio from Japan has been awarded 1st prize at the 2018 ARD International Piano Trio Competition – in Munich, Germany.

Comprising Tokyo University graduates, violinist Kyoko Ogawa, cellist Yutaka Ito and pianist Kosuke Akimoto, the ensemble will receive €10,000 – plus a number of important debut concert and recording invitations.

No 2nd prize was awarded at this year’s competition.

Joint 3rd prize was awarded to the Lux Trio from Korea - and the Trio Marvin from Kazakhstan/Russia/Germany.

The Lux Trio was awarded this year’s trio competition Audience Prize - plus the prize for the best performance of this year’s newly-commissioned set work.

The 2018 piano trio competition jury comprised: Vincent Coq, Jens Elvekjær, Amiram All, Stefan Mendl, Sølve Sigerland, Tanja Tetzlaff and Quirine Viersen.

Previous ARD Competition category prize winners include: Christian Tetzlaff, Jessye Norman, Natalia Gutman, Christoph Eschenbach, Mitsuko Uchida, Yuri Bashmet, Igor Ozim, Dora Schwarzberg – and VC Artists Bomsori Kim and Sarah Christian.