Akioota International Music Festival

Pianist Hiroyuki Kato will be the core of the trio, joined by cellist Gen Yokosaka, who made his first appearance at the festival last year and made a big impression with his Rachmaninoff, and Akira Mizutani, who is now attracting attention as one of the most talented violinists in Japan. The trio will launch from Aki Ota to the world!

Akira Mizutani (violin)
Graduated from Toho Gakuen School of Music at the top of his class. He won the third prize in the String Quartet Division at the 57th Munich International Music Competition, and became the concertmaster of the Gunma Symphony Orchestra in April 2010 as the youngest concertmaster in Japan. He has been the leader of the Yufuin Music Festival since June 2018. He was appointed as the leader of "Yufuin Music Festival". Part-time lecturer at Toho Gakuen School of Music

Gen Yokosaka, cello
In July 2002, he became the youngest winner (at the age of 15) of the All Japan Viva Hall Cello Competition, known as a gateway to success for cellists, and was awarded the 15th "Idemitsu Music Award" and the 7th "Hideo Saito Memorial Fund Award.
In May 2009, she won the first prize (chamber music) at the All-German Student Music Competition, and in September 2010, the second prize in the cello division at the 59th Munich International Music Competition, thus launching her career as an international cellist in earnest.

Hiroyuki Kato（Piano)
After graduating from the Music High School attached to Tokyo Metropolitan University of Fine Arts and Music, Kato graduated from the same university at the top of his class. He received the "Ataka Prize" within the university. While in graduate school, he won the third prize at the Geneva International Music Competition in 1990, and studied at the Liszt Academy of Music in Hungary under István Lantos.
In 1996, she moved to Cologne, Germany, to further her studies under Pavel Girilov. He has been active as a soloist and chamber musician throughout Europe, and has been teaching at the Tokyo University of the Arts since 2012 and at the Department of Piano since 2021. He received the Grand Prize in the Music Division of the Agency for Cultural Affairs Arts Festival in 2048.

Kateryna Kateryna, singer and player of bandura, a traditional Ukrainian instrument
Born in Pripyat, Ukraine, Kateryna joined the "Chervona Kalina" at the age of 6, a musical troupe made up of children who were victims of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident at night, and participated in many overseas performances. 19 years old, she moved her musical base to Tokyo. Currently, as one of the few Ukrainian bandura players in Japan, she performs Ukrainian folk tales and Japanese songs, and has been featured in numerous media including TV, newspapers, and radio.