Spica Concert No.178

Two virtuosos, Louis Claret and Masaru Okada, who have been performing together with mutual respect since their first collaboration in 2008, will talk intimately with each other and weave together music that will touch your heart.

Luis Claret
He aspired to become a cellist under the influence of his godfather, Pablo Casals. After receiving a thorough musical education from his brother, he studied in France, Italy, and the U.S., where he was trained by Giorgi Sebok, Bernard Greenhouse, etc. In the 1970s, he attracted attention by winning a succession of competitions, including the Lopovich International Competition. Since then, he has performed with major orchestras around the world, including the Washington National Orchestra and the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, and has given recitals under the baton of conductors such as Rostropovich and Neumann. He has premiered many works dedicated to him by renowned contemporary composers such as Dutilleux and Lutoslawski. As a representative of Catalonia, he performed the Catalan folk song "Bird Song" at the closing ceremony of the Barcelona Olympics.

Masashi Okada
While a student at Toho Girls' High School for Music (co-ed), Masashi Okada won the first prize at the Japan Music Competition. The following year, he graduated from the same school at the top of his class and went to Europe. He studied at the Salzburg Mozarteum Conservatory and the Berlin University of the Arts.
He has achieved brilliant results in competitions, including the first Japanese winner of the Liszt International Piano Competition in the Netherlands. After working as a soloist based in Germany, she returned to Japan in 2007.
She has been actively engaged as a soloist, performing Beethoven's 32 piano sonatas in a series and collaborating with major orchestras. In recent years, she has also focused on chamber music, performing with leading musicians.
Her CD "Beethoven: Complete Sonatas for Cello and Piano" with Louis Claret was released in 2018 to high acclaim. He is the recipient of the Idemitsu Prize and the Chopin Society of Japan Prize, among others.