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.
