Aoi Trio
Aoi Trio, piano trio
Kosuke Akimoto, piano
Kyoko Ogawa, violin
Yu Ito, cello
“What was very impressive with Aoi Trio’s performance is that they sound like a real piano trio: three superb players with a lot of high individual qualities and skills and at the same time a real trio sound and spirit. It is the perfect balance between these two aspects which makes a good piano trio.”
--Vincent Coq (piano, Trio Wanderer), Ongaku no Tomo music magazine in Japan--
“We were stunned at how this young Japanese trio produced something spectacular at every stage: a wonderful Ives trio in the first round, equally impressive Brahms, and the only convincing -and utterly beautiful- Mozart of the competition.”
--Stefan Mendl (piano, Vienna Piano Trio, Jury of ARD Competition), The Strad, January 2019--
“The jury unanimously voted them far ahead of the other trios throughout the contest, and this was reflected in the decision ultimately to award a first prize and two third prize -but no second prize.”
--The Strad, January 2019—
“Von Beethoven bis Hosokawa. Das junge und sehr erfolgreiche AOI-Trio aus Japan hat im Deutschlandfunk Kammermusiksaal ein breites Musikspektrum präsentiert. Virtuos und voller Energie spannte es einen Bogen zwischen Europa und Fernost und zwischen alter und neuer Musik.”
-- Deutchlandfunk —
Only five times in history, the ARD international music competition has awarded the first prize for piano trios. Aoi Trio won this prestigious first prize in 2018, which made a breathtaking start to their international career.
Aoi Trio was founded in 2016 by Kyoko Ogawa (violin), Yu Ito (cello), and Kosuke Akimoto (piano), all of whom graduated from the Tokyo University of the Arts and studied at the renowned Chamber Music Academy of Suntory Hall (Tokyo) for 2 years. After winning at ARD competition, they continued studying under Dirk Mommertz (Fauré Quartett) at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich.
Aoi Trio is currently appearing at almost 30 concerts in a year at the major venues not only in Japan but Germany, Italy, France and Czech. Recently they are working 7 years project with Suntory Hall and 3 years resident program with Kioi Hall. They collaborated with Sapporo Symphony Orchestra for Beethoven’s triple concerto and with Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra Casella’s triple concerto in 2021, and is scheduled to play Beethoven’s concert with Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa in Kanazawa, Nagoya and Osaka in September 2023.
Aoi Trio has released four recordings “Haydn No. 27 and Schubert No. 2” and “Beethoven No. 1 and Mendelssohn No. 2”, “Martinu No. 1 & Dvorak No. 3” and “Schumann No. 1 & Schubert No. 1” which have attracted great critical acclaim. They received the Aoyama Music Award, Nippon Steel Music Award, Hotel Okura Music Award and Music Pen Club Award.
“Aoi” refers to the initial letters of their individual family names and is also the name of a flower in Japanese language, which is commonly known as ‘hollylock” in Europe and symbolises “aspiration” or “fruitfulness.”
(July, 2023)
Photo credit: Nokolaj Lund
