Arisu Nakao

 

 

Arisu Nakao was born in Osaka, Japan. At the age of eleven, she performed Mozart’s D major Piano Concerto No. 26 Coronation with an orchestra, marking an early milestone in her musical journey. She pursued her formal studies at Musashino Academia Musicae in Tokyo under A. Tamura, earning both BMus and MMus degrees. During her time there, she was awarded the Naoaki Fukui Memorial Scholarship.

While still in Japan, she successfully passed entrance examinations for both the Royal College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music, receiving partial scholarships. However, due to financial constraints, she was not able to attend. She later continued her studies at the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory , where she studied under A. Nasedkin, V. Kastelsky, and L. Roschina.

In 2002 she moved to the UK to study with M. Schreider and R. McMahon. She completed the Postgraduate Diploma with distinction at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in July 2004. During her time there, she  received several awards, including The Julian Jacobson Prize, The Lawrence Davies memorial Award and The Zbigniew Grzybowski Memorial Prize (The Chopin Prize).

Arisu has participated in masterclasses with renowned pianists such as K. Mizumura, A. Webersinke, M. Prinz, A. Pizarro, M. Young, and V. Margulis. 

Her performance career includes appearances at the 11th National Young Musicians’ Festival and St. Martin-in-the-Fields recital series. In 2004 she gave a recital in London organized by the Beethoven Piano Society of Europe. From 2005 to 2008 she was a regular performer in the lunchtime recital series in the Wales Millennium Centre. 

During 2005‒2006 season, she was responsible for live music in the world premiere Chase the Glowing Hours with Flying Feet performed by Diversions, the Dance Company of Wales, and participated in part of their tour. She has also worked for several ballet schools.

In 2005 she passed the audition to  become an accompanist in the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, later serving as one of the college's official accompanists. She also gave lunchtime recitals at The Gate in 2006 and 2007, attracting large audiences in Cardiff, where she was based. 

From 2006 to 2008, she was the resident pianist at Hilton Cardiff, a 5-star-hotel. Her performances, known for their wide-ranging repertoire, were well received by guests from around the world and across generations. 

In 2010 she embarked on a U.K. & Hong Kong Tour, followed by a new tour in 2011, which included a performance at the St Barnabas Liszt Piano Festival. That same year, she gave a joint recital with the acclaimed pianist, Julian Jacobson. She continues to performs in Japan.

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In addition to her active performance career, she manages her own piano studio.  

 

In her early days, she was awarded the second prize in the Osaka regional round of the Richard Clayderman Piano Competition.

 

Enquiry

 

arisu.nakao@gmail.com        Tel: +81(0)90 5058 7592