Biography / プロフィール
Biography in English to be found at the bottom of this page.
伊藤悠貴
15歳で渡英。2010年ブラームス国際コンクール第1位、2011年ウィンザー祝祭国際弦楽コンクール第1位、2019年齋藤秀雄メモリアル基金賞受賞。これまでに国内の主要オーケストラはもとより、フィルハーモニア管弦楽団、サウスバンク・シンフォニア、ケルントナー交響楽団、スロヴェニア国防軍オーケストラなどと共演を重ね、室内楽の殿堂ウィグモア・ホールへのデビューを含むヨーロッパ各地のリサイタルなど、国際舞台で活動。その演奏は「センセーショナル」（The Strad, UK）、「極めて詩的」（The Ensemble, Germany）、「東洋人離れした音楽家」（American Record Guide）、コンサート・ベストテン選出（音楽の友）など、各国主要誌から高く評価されている。世界的巨匠ヨハン・デ・メイにも絶賛され、チェロと管弦楽のための委嘱新作《エレジーとスケルツォ：ラフマニノフへのオマージュ》の献呈を受けている。幅広いレパートリーの中核にラフマニノフ研究を据え、2012年『ラフマニノフ：チェロ作品全集』でワールドワイドCDデビュー、生誕150年の2023年には学術単行本『ラフマニノフ考』を上梓。近年は欧州の音楽大学にマスタークラス講師として招かれ、国際コンクールの審査員も務めている。
Yuki Ito (cellist, conductor, author)
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.
He has since internationally appeared with major orchestras as the Philharmonia Orchestra, Kärntner Sinfonieorchester, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony and Tokyo Symphony Orchestras, and has regularly given recitals around the globe at venues like London’s Wigmore Hall, Royal Festival Hall and Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre.
His performances have been internationally hailed by important critiques as “Sensational…His rubato is refined and intelligently complements the underlying harmonic movement. I would be astonished if he doesn’t establish himself at the pinnacle of the international scene” (Strad Magazine, UK), “His performance seems to come from a strong romantic vein and is extraordinarily poetic accompanied by a wonderful singing tone” (Ensemble Magazine, Germany), “Ito plays with notable maturity and taste” (American Record Guide, USA).
He specialises in Rachmaninoff amidst his wide repertoire - 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”.
In 2024 he released his first concerto album “Casanova” (Johan de Meij : The Complete Works for Cello and Wind Orchestra) world-wide, including a commissioned work dedicated to him “Elegy & Scherzo” (A Tribute to Sergei Rachmaninoff) by the world-renowned composer Johan de Meij, with maestro de Meij himself on the podium. He praised Yuki Ito’s playing of his own “Casanova”, a cello concerto fondly performed by cellists around the globe, as “It is absolute perfection in all aspects…The best version I (the composer) have ever heard in my life”.
As conductor Yuki Ito made his conducting debut at St Martin-in-the-Fields in 2013, 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.
In recent years he has been internationally invited to give masterclasses at conservatoires, as well as serving as adjudicator for international competitions.
He was awarded the “Hideo Saito Memorial Award” in 2019, one of the most honourable music awards in Japan, for his service to music.