Japanese Pianist, Yu Nitahara is the 1st, audience as well as orchestra prize winner at the Morocco Philharmonic Orchestra International Music Competition. He is also prizewinner of numerous international competitions such as the Santander International Competition in Santander/Spain, the International Mozart Competition in Salzburg/Austria, the J.N.Hummel International Piano Competition in Bratislava/Slovakia, Viotti International Piano Competition in Vercelli/Italy and the PIANALE International Piano Competition in Fulda/Germany. In Japan, he received the 1st Prize as well as some special prizes at the 6th Kazuko Yasukawa Memorial Competition.
As a chamber musician, he received the 1st prize at the Swedish International Duo Competition in Katrineholm/Sweden, the best accompanist prizes in violin and cello section at the Enescu International Competition in Bucharest/Rumania. and “Best Duo Prize” at Academie de Musique de Lausanne/Switzerland.
Yu has performed widely throughout his native country Japan in addition to other Asian and European countries. He has made appearances in major Europian festival such as Gstaad Menuhin Festival in Switzerland, Schleswig Holstein Festival in Germany and also in major hall like the Concertgebow Amsterdam and Grosser Saal in Salzburg. He has appeared as a soloist with RTVE Symphony Orchestra, Morocco Philhamonic Orchestra, Slovakia Philhamonic Orchestra, Gstaad Menuhin Festival Orchestra, Salzburg Orchestra Soloists, Kyusyu Symphony Orchestra and Geidai Philhamonic Orchestra among others.
Yu graduated from the Tokyo National University of the Arts with Bachelor’s and Master’s degree with the top honor under Prof. Michiko Kasuya-Ohno and Prof. Akira Eguchi as a Scholar of Yamaha Music Foundation. He moved to Europe after his graduation, he studied Pino Solo and Chamber music at University Mozarteum Salzburg under Prof. Pavel Gililov as a Scholar of Japanese Cultural Affairs and Meiji Yasuda Cultural Foundation. From October 2020, he is working as a Senior Lecturer in Mozarteum University.
As a chamber musician, he received the 1st prize at the Swedish International Duo Competition in Katrineholm/Sweden, the best accompanist prizes in violin and cello section at the Enescu International Competition in Bucharest/Rumania. and “Best Duo Prize” at Academie de Musique de Lausanne/Switzerland.
Yu has performed widely throughout his native country Japan in addition to other Asian and European countries. He has made appearances in major Europian festival such as Gstaad Menuhin Festival in Switzerland, Schleswig Holstein Festival in Germany and also in major hall like the Concertgebow Amsterdam and Grosser Saal in Salzburg. He has appeared as a soloist with RTVE Symphony Orchestra, Morocco Philhamonic Orchestra, Slovakia Philhamonic Orchestra, Gstaad Menuhin Festival Orchestra, Salzburg Orchestra Soloists, Kyusyu Symphony Orchestra and Geidai Philhamonic Orchestra among others.
Yu graduated from the Tokyo National University of the Arts with Bachelor’s and Master’s degree with the top honor under Prof. Michiko Kasuya-Ohno and Prof. Akira Eguchi as a Scholar of Yamaha Music Foundation. He moved to Europe after his graduation, he studied Pino Solo and Chamber music at University Mozarteum Salzburg under Prof. Pavel Gililov as a Scholar of Japanese Cultural Affairs and Meiji Yasuda Cultural Foundation. From October 2020, he is working as a Senior Lecturer in Mozarteum University.