Tadashi Imai



Tadashi Imai
began learning the piano at the age of eleven with Kazuyo Ueda and Mieko Nakagawa. At the age of 14, he had already won the Grand Prize, Yamaha Prize and Koichi Nomura (Music Critics) Award at the Kamakura National Music Competition in Japan. He continued his education at the Toho Gakuen College of Music with Hiroshi Tajika and Hidemitsu Hayashi (piano), and Shuku Iwasaki (chamber music). During his studies at the Toho Gakuen, he took part in concerts for best students of leading national schools of music, and won Second Prize at the 12th Takahiro Sonoda International Piano Competition. Granted a scholarship, he went on to study with Tamas Ungar at Texas Christian Unicersity. During his studies in the USA, he won First Prize at the Grand Prix International Chopin Competition, Second Prizes at the Martin Memorial International Competition, the Steinway Society International Competition of Dallas and the Spring Field Symphony Orchestra audition for young musicians, as well as a prize at Music Teachers National Association Audition. Later, he was awarded a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he mastered his piano (Christopher Elton) and chamber music skills (Clifford Benson and Michael Dussek). During his studies in the UK, he performed at the Halifax Chamber Music Festival for Young Musicians, the Messiaen Festival (broadcast by BBC Radio Three's 'InTune' programme), and at events organised by the Tunnel Trust for Young Musicians (twice).

Tadashi Imai has played several concertos, including Stravinsky's Piano Concerto (with the Royal Academy Orchestra), Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23 (with Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra), Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11 (with the Osaka Symphoniker) and Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30 (with the Feuerwerk Symphoniker, Tokyo).

He has performed in many countries, including recitals at such prestigious venues as the Suntory Hall (Tokyo), Carnegie Hall (New York) and Wigmore Hall (London).


Artist's official website: www.tadashi-imai.com