Application Form
Once your entry is confirmed, you will receive an email from the office regarding payment of fees. Please wait for this email. If you do not receive a reply within 3 days of submitting your application, please contact the office at [email protected].
International Junior Piano Institute in Uozu 2025
Period: July 5 (Sat) - July 14 (Mon), 2025
Eligibility: Young people under 18 who love piano music. Nationality does not matter.
*If you are living in Japan and wish to participate, the office will issue a certificate of participation in the seminar to the principal of your school. Whether it is considered an official absence or not is up to each school. (A separate course for "Little Pianists with ties to Toyama Prefecture" is available, which is scheduled only on some dates using weekends. Please contact the office for details. )
Number of participants: 15
Venue: Niikawa-Manabi-no-Mori-Tenjinyama-Koryukan , Uozu City
This seminar is held by Miyoko Nakaya Lotto, who is renowned as a pianist and educator of international pianists in the United States, to nurture young talents along with her disciples. The venue, Manabi-no-Mori, is a facility in Uozu City, Toyama Prefecture, with numerous grand piano practice rooms and a small hall equipped with a full concert Steinway piano, which is rare worldwide. Toyama Prefecture was selected by the New York Times as one of the 52 places to go in 2025. This seminar offers a sufficient practice environment for improvement, as well as a family-like "Omotenashi(hospitality)" by the staff and various interactions with Japanese culture. Participants can experience performing at Japanese schools, having school lunches together, tea ceremony, calligraphy, and wearing yukata.
■Details of the course:
A. Senior Class (Period: July 5 - 14)
There are daily individual or group lessons and lectures. There will be an opening concert on the first day and a performance presentation at the concert hall on the final day. Additionally, concerts are planned at elementary schools and several facilities in the city, and participants will have the opportunity to perform through auditions. For the opening concert and auditions, participants will perform a short piece within 5 minutes. For the performance presentation and concerts through auditions, participants will perform pieces of about 5-10 minutes. For the performance presentation, participants will perform pieces within 15 minutes. * Depending on the instructor's judgment, pieces exceeding the standard time may be performed. Please prepare a repertoire of 3-4 pieces, including short pieces. Performance presentation venue: Niikawa-Bunka Hall Small Hall
B. Junior Class (Period: July 5 - 12)
There are daily individual or group lessons. If desired, lessons for duets are also available. The schedule for lectures and concerts will generally follow the senior class, but participation in the opening concert and auditions is optional. For the performance presentation, participants will perform pieces within 5 minutes. * Depending on the instructor's judgment, pieces exceeding 5 minutes may be performed. Participants can freely choose the repertoire for the lessons and can take lessons for multiple pieces if they have the capacity. Performance presentation venue: Sakura Hall at Manabi-no-mori
For both courses, participants can receive lessons or advice from their desired instructor once a day, either individually or in groups. However, if there are many participants, lessons may be given by the second-choice instructor.
Tuition:
A.Senior Course: $1150
B.JuniorCourse:$950
Application fee: $100forbothcourses(applicationsafterAprilwillbe$200)
*If you wish to take lessons from other instructors separately: Additional lesson: 60 minutes $100
*If you wish to take private lessons only outside the seminar, it is $150 per lesson
Included in the tuition:
- Lesson and lecture fees
- Guest concert admission fee
- Piano practice room usage fee during the period
- Excursion participation fee
- Lunch and dinner costs, including the welcome party (from July 5 to lunch on July 14)
(For the junior course, only lunch costs are included)
- Shuttle bus fee to and from Manabi no Mori at designated times
Not included in the tuition:
- Transportation costs to Uozu City
- Accommodation costs
- Transportation costs to the venue outside the designated dates
- Dinner costs are not included in the junior course.
About Meals: There are no restaurants or markets nearby Manabi-no-Mori, participants need to return to the hotel area for meals and shopping. Therefore, this seminar includes lunch and dinner fees, mainly Japanese food with occasional Western food like sandwiches, to be taken within the facility. This allows senior class participants to have ample practice time. Junior course participants who wish to have dinner or family members who wish to join for lunch or dinner can do so for an additional fee. Please contact the office for details. The tuition remains the same even if the provided meals are not taken.
Accommodation: There are several hotels in Uozu City, but participants are recommended to stay at "Hotel Route-Inn Uozu." It is close to shopping malls and restaurants and has a coin laundry on-site. There is also a plan to stay at "Hotel Granmirage," where the instructors stay, but this hotel does not have an on-site laundry (a coin laundry is a 3-minute walk away). Both hotels offer free shuttle buses to the venue in the morning and evening.
- Accommodation package plan: Check-in on July 4 (Fri) - Check-out on July 15 (Tue) (11 nights, per person rate)
$600 HotelRoute−InnUozu with breakfast
$700 Hotel Granmirage with breakfast
- Accommodation plan for junior class: Check-in on July 4 (Fri) - Check-out on July 12 (Sat) (9 nights, per person rate)
$ 440 HotelRoute−InnUozu with breakfast
$610 Hotel Granmirage with breakfast
Please consult us if you have any requests for family accommodation, extended stays, or shortened stays.
2024 Summer seminar
It ended successfully.
With gratitude to all the teachers, participants, and everyone involved.
See you soon this summer!
Comments from the survey of participants
Enough practice time after lessons, many opportunities to perform at different venues
Unforgettable experience to visit Japanese elementary school. The lunch was very healthy and good amount.