International
Junior Piano Festival in Uozu
July３rd, ~ July13
Our faculty consists of distinguished artists and educators from around the world,
dedicated to nurturing the next generation of musicians.
Through close interaction and personalized guidance,
participants will experience both artistic growth and meaningful human connection.
Greetings
from the faculty and staff
of our Piano Seminar
この国際ピアノフェスティバルは、2024年にスタートしました。
アメリカのジュリアード音楽院において名教授として知られたサーシャ・ゴロニツキー教授のもとで長年アシスタントを務め、多くの優れたピアニストを育成してきたロト・中谷三代子氏。その故郷・加賀市にほど近い魚津の地において、本フェスティバルは誕生しました。
『ピアノの天国ね』と三代子先生が仰るほど、世界でも類を見ないほど多数のグランドピアノの練習室と、小ホールを備えた「学びの森」を舞台に、アメリカや台湾をはじめとする世界各国の子どもたちが集い、音楽を通してかけがえのない夏の成長のひとときを共に過ごしてほしい――その願いから、この取り組みは始まりました。
今年は、ロト・中谷三代子先生がご体調を崩されたためご参加が叶わない中、その志を受け継ぐべく、門下生であるイ・チェンチェン氏の呼びかけにより、新たに台湾からチン・ジユー氏、さらにハンガリーのリスト音楽院よりキシュ・ペーテル先生という卓越した音楽家の方々にご参加いただくこととなり、ぜひ魚津の地において、夏のすばらしい成長のひとときを多くの参加者の皆様と共に過ごすことができれば幸いです。
フェスティバルプロデューサー
大野由加
This International Piano Festival was launched in 2024.
It was founded in Uozu, a city located near Kaga—the hometown of Miyoko Nakaya Lotto—who served for many years as an assistant to the renowned professor Sascha Gorodnitzki at The Juilliard School in the United States and has nurtured many outstanding pianists.
Described by Ms. Nakaya Lotto as a “piano paradise,” Manabi no Mori offers an exceptional environment rarely found anywhere in the world, with numerous grand piano practice rooms and a recital hall. It is in this unique setting that children from around the globe, including the United States and Taiwan, come together to share an irreplaceable summer of musical growth. This festival was born from the wish to create such an experience.
This year, although Ms. Miyoko Nakaya Lotto is unfortunately unable to attend due to health reasons, her vision continues to inspire us. Through the initiative of her former student, I-Chen Chen, we are honored to welcome distinguished new faculty members: Chih-Yu Chen from Taiwan and Professor Kiss Péter from the Liszt Academy of Music in Hungary. We sincerely hope to share a truly meaningful and enriching summer in Uozu together with all participants.
Festival Producer Yuka Ohno
A Message to the Participants by Miyoko Nakaya Lotto
on the Occasion of the 2024 Festival
My teacher always told me that summer is a time when we have the opportunity to learn and grow as a pianist. We can learn a new concerto, make music with other musicians or even change our technique and how we play the instrument. Summer is a wonderful time of the year to assume a challenge. Giving ourselves a challenge is one of the greatest tools we have for growth as a musician. When you are young and have strong bodies, you need to challenge yourselves to be a better pianists. We, as pianists, have to realize that our bodies start to have problems after the age of about 26 so one should really challenge themselves before we reach that point. Teenage years are the best time for achieving optimal growth and establishing the foundation of technique which you will use for the rest of your lives. Look at the natural scenery around you to have an image of something truly beautiful, like Debussy. Eat something delicious that makes your tongue tingle with excitement, like Rachmaninoff. Read something that is profound that scrambles your mind like Bach. Or dance to music whose rhythm makes your body twitch involuntary, like de Falla. Everything in our life is related to these great works of art so go and explore while you are young!
We are extremely fortunate to have a great facility in a beautiful place like Uozu. Here the beauty of nature blends with the beauty of human made works of art, like the Hamburg Steinways here in Uozu.
Miyoko Nakaya Lotto
2024
私の先生はいつも、「夏はピアニストとして学び、成長する絶好の機会である」とおっしゃっていました。新しい協奏曲に挑戦したり、他の音楽家と共に音楽を作り上げたり、あるいは自分のテクニックや楽器との向き合い方そのものを見直すこともできる――夏は、そうした挑戦を引き受けるのに最もふさわしい季節です。
自らに挑戦を課すことは、音楽家として成長するための最も大きな力のひとつです。若く、身体が自由に動く時期だからこそ、より良いピアニストになるために自分自身に挑み続けてください。私たちピアニストは、およそ26歳を過ぎる頃から身体にさまざまな問題が生じ始めることを自覚しなければなりません。だからこそ、その前にこそ思い切り挑戦するべきなのです。
とりわけ十代は、最も大きな成長を遂げることができる時期であり、生涯にわたって使い続ける技術の基盤を築くためのかけがえのない時間です。ドビュッシーの音楽のように、本当に美しいものを思い描くために、身の回りの自然に目を向けてみてください。ラフマニノフのように、舌が震えるほど美味しいものを味わってください。バッハのように、心を揺さぶり思考をかき乱すような深いものを読んでください。あるいは、ファリャの音楽のように、思わず身体が動き出してしまうリズムに身を委ねて踊ってみてください。
私たちの人生にあるあらゆる経験は、こうした偉大な芸術作品とつながっています。だからこそ、若いうちにたくさんのことを体験し、世界を探求してください。
そして私たちは、魚津という美しい場所に、このような素晴らしい施設を持っていることに深い幸運を感じています。ここでは、豊かな自然の美しさと、人の手によって生み出された芸術の美――魚津に備えられたハンブルク・スタインウェイの響きとが、見事に調和しているのです。
ロト・中谷三代子
2024年
Miyoko Nakaya Lotto
Honorary Advisor (2026)
Miyoko Nakaya Lotto is an internationally acclaimed pianist and distinguished educator.
Born in Hokkaido, Japan, she began her musical studies at the Toho Gakuen School of Music before moving to the United States at the age of seven. She later studied at Roosevelt University and The Juilliard School under the legendary Sascha Gorodnitzki, where she served as his assistant for fourteen years.
She has received numerous prizes in international competitions and has been invited worldwide as a masterclass teacher and competition juror. Her students have gone on to achieve success in major competitions such as the Leeds, Van Cliburn, and Chopin International Piano Competitions.
She also served as music advisor and editor for the documentary project “Beethoven: The Complete Sonatas” with Daniel Barenboim, which received the Grand Prize at the Cannes Classical Awards.
She has taught at The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, New York University, and the Perlman Music Program, and is widely respected as a leading figure in piano education.
Kiss Péter
Professor, Liszt Academy of Music (Hungary)
Kiss Péter is a distinguished Hungarian pianist and professor at the Liszt Academy of Music.
Renowned for his vibrant and deeply expressive performances, he has appeared at major venues and festivals across Europe, the United States, and Asia, including Chicago, Cleveland, Santiago de Chile, New Delhi, and Beijing.
An active chamber musician and collaborator, he has worked with leading artists and composers such as Steve Reich, László Fenyő, and Péter Eötvös, with whom he has premiered several works internationally.
He is a frequent guest of the UMZE Ensemble and a recipient of multiple prestigious awards, including the Annie Fischer Scholarship, Junior Prima Award, and Artisjus Prize.
His doctoral research focused on György Kurtág’s “Játékok (Games).”
I-Chen Chen
Pianist / Chamber Musician / Educator (Taiwan)
I-Chen Chen is an internationally active pianist, chamber musician, educator, and researcher.
She has performed as a soloist at major venues such as Suntory Hall in Tokyo and Lincoln Center in New York, and has collaborated with orchestras including the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra.
She studied at The Juilliard School (Bachelor and Master degrees) and earned her Doctor of Musical Arts from New York University.
She is currently on the faculty of Tainan National University of the Arts and National Sun Yat-sen University.
Her research on Chopin has been published, and her album “The Last Bloom: Chopin, Last Years in Paris” (2022) has received critical acclaim.
Chi-Yu Chen
Pianist / Educator (Taiwan)
Chih-Yu Chen is an internationally recognized Taiwanese pianist.
She studied at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, where she earned Master’s degrees in piano performance and chamber music, as well as a Doctorate in Musicology.
She is a prizewinner of numerous international competitions, including First Prize at the International J. S. Bach Piano Competition in Saarbrücken, Germany.
Her performance of the Goldberg Variations was broadcast on national radio, and she later served as a jury member for the same competition.
She has been selected as a Rising Star by Taiwan’s National Theater and Concert Hall and regularly appears in the “24-Hour Bach” series at the Weiwuying National Center for the Arts.
She is also the founder of “Pianists’ Map,” an interdisciplinary initiative promoting classical music.
Yuka Ohno
Artistic Producer / Pianist
Yuka Ohno is a Japanese pianist, educator, and producer based in Uozu and Kanazawa.
She graduated top of her class from Senzoku Gakuen Uozu Junior College and has performed extensively as a soloist and chamber musician, including collaborations with Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa and leading artists such as concertmaster Fuminori Shinozaki.
In addition to her performance career, she is deeply engaged in cultural and educational initiatives, producing the “Manabi no Mori Music Festival” since 2007 and developing a wide range of programs connecting music and community.
As a teacher, she has guided many students to success in national competitions, including the Japan Bach Competition and other major contests.
She is currently a lecturer at Senzoku Gakuen College of Music and serves as Music Coordinator for Uozu City.
Albert Lotto
Guest Artist (subject to availability)
Albert Lotto is an internationally renowned pianist and educator.
He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The Juilliard School and began his career by winning First Prize at the Montreal International Piano Competition at the age of nineteen. He later received the Gold Medal at the prestigious Busoni International Piano Competition in Italy.
He has performed as a soloist and with orchestras across four continents, collaborating with ensembles such as the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra and the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra.
A cultural ambassador for the U.S. Department of State and the Peace Corps, he has contributed to international cultural exchange through performances and educational activities worldwide.
As a pedagogue, he continues the teaching lineage of Sascha Gorodnitzki and has taught at major festivals such as the Summit Music Festival and the Perlman Music Program.
He is also a founding member of the Tenri Chamber Ensemble in New York.
This International Piano Festival was established in 2024.
It was born in Uozu, a city located near Kaga—hometown of Ms. Miyoko Nakaya Lotto—through our connection with her. Ms. Nakaya Lotto studied and served for many years as an assistant to the late Professor Sascha Gorodnitzki, a renowned and highly respected teacher at The Juilliard School, and has since nurtured numerous outstanding pianists.
Her teaching goes far beyond technical instruction. It invites students to deeply reflect on the essence of music itself. Through listening, feeling, and engaging sincerely with the score, she cultivates both the mind and body necessary for true musical expression. With a particular passion for nurturing young musicians, she has guided many students who have gone on to build international careers.
Upon her first visit to “Manabi no Mori,” she described it as “a paradise for pianists unlike anywhere else in the world.”
The Manabi no Mori Exchange Center preserves the facilities of a former music college, featuring numerous practice rooms equipped with grand pianos, as well as a recital hall housing a full concert Hamburg Steinway piano built in 1970. In this exceptional environment, our hope is that young musicians from around the world will gather and share an irreplaceable time of growth through music. It is from this vision that the festival was born.
Over the years, we have organized various summer seminars and concerts that make full use of this unique facility. However, being able to host an international program of this kind is a particular joy and milestone for us.
This year, due to health reasons, Ms. Nakaya Lotto is unfortunately unable to participate. Nevertheless, her spirit and vision continue to guide us. Through the initiative of her student, Ms. I-Chen Chen, we are honored to welcome distinguished artists including Ms. Chih-Yu Chen from Taiwan and Professor Péter Kiss from the Liszt Academy of Music in Hungary.
We sincerely hope that this festival will provide young pianists with a rare opportunity to experience the traditions of European pianism and to encounter “living lessons” and “living music.”
We warmly invite young musicians—especially those connected to Toyama Prefecture—as well as participants from across Japan and abroad, to take part in this program. Through lessons and performances, we hope you will discover the profound beauty of music.
It is our heartfelt wish to share with you a summer of meaningful growth here in Uozu.
Yuka Ohno
Producer, Manabi no Mori Music Festival
Miyoko Lotto＆Yuka Ohno
Memorial of
Sascha Gorodnitzki
Sascha Gorodnitzki was a virtuoso pianist and distinguished professor who taught at the Juilliard School for 40 years.
Before joining the Juilliard faculty, he had a remarkable career as a solo pianist, performing 27 consecutive recitals at Carnegie Hall. Even after becoming a professor at Juilliard, he continued to perform internationally, appearing at numerous music festivals, collaborating with renowned orchestras, and winning prestigious awards. He was also an assistant to the renowned Joseph Raievski, starting from his time as Raievski's student, which means he spent nearly 50 years teaching at Juilliard.
Gorodnitzki was particularly known for his mastery of classical and Romantic repertoire, especially works by Beethoven, Schumann, and Chopin. His playing was characterized by exceptional technique, musical depth, and rich emotional expression. His performances were highly praised by music critics and audiences alike, and he is still considered one of the greatest pianists of our time.
This seminar for young pianists in Uozu will be
a wonderful opportunity to learn traditional pianism from
Miyoko Lotto Nakaya, a student and trusted assistant of
Professor Sascha Gorodnitzki.
Toyama is one of the 52 places to go in 2025, as chosen by The New York Times.
富山はニューヨークタイムズが選んだ2025年に訪れるべき世界の場所の一つに選ばれました。魚津市は富山市から25キロ東に位置し、水資源の豊富な自然豊かな街です。
Uozu City is located about 25 kilometers east of Toyama City. The abundance of nature and the delicious seafood and mountain delicacies are all thanks to the delicious water that nurtures them.
We are thrilled to be able to host the piano seminar in this wonderful place.
『Niikawa-Manabi-no-Mori Tenjinyama-Koryukan』
Access
From Tokyo Station, take the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Kurobe-Unazuki-Onsen Station
From Kurobe-Unazuki-Onsen Station, take the Toyama Regional Railway to Shin-Uozu Station
Regarding transportation for participants on June 28th and July 8th,
we will provide separate instructions.
特別協賛
