Nariaki Sugiura
Biography
Music critics have raved about Nariaki Sugiura's performances in Europe with such accolades as "the most sensitive touch on the piano," and "possessing the rigueur, passion, and discipline of an old Samurai." International concert artist Nariaki Sugiura has performed solo recitals and concerto engagements in the U.S., Europe, South America, and Asia at some of the most prestigious concert halls including Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Symphony Hall at Shenzhen Concert Hall (China), Ferenc Liszt Music Academy Recital Hall (Hungary), Daejeon Arts and Cultural Center Hall (South Korea), Manoel Theater (Malta), Kioi Hall (Japan), and Museo de Arte (Puerto Rico). He has appeared as soloist with the Greater Grand Forks Symphony Orchestra, Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra, UND Chamber Orchestra, and many others. His arrangements for chamber ensembles and piano ensembles have been frequently performed, and he has also conducted his ensemble arrangements.
A devoted teacher as well as performer, Dr. Sugiura has become of the leading piano pedagogues of his generation. He has given piano master classes at numerous institutions such as Civico Instituto Musicale "V. Baravalle" (Italy), Gheorghe Dima Music Academy (Romania), Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Mannheim (Germany), Xinghai Conservatory of Music (China), National Kaohsiung Normal University (Taiwan), Ewha Women's University and Sunhwa Arts High School (South Korea), Universitas Pelita Harapan (Indonesia), St. Paul's College (Hong Kong), University of Antioquia (Colombia), University of Minnesota, and many other music institutions around the world. Currently he is Associate Professor of Piano and Collaborative Piano at University of North Dakota while also holding visiting faculty position at East China Normal University in Shanghai. His students have received prizes and scholarships from local, regional, and national music competitions. Previously, he has taught at DePauw University, Indiana University, and Lamont Summer Pre-College Music Academy in Denver, and Guangdon University of Foreign Study in China. While he was at Indiana University, he worked for legendary cellist Janos Starker as a studio pianist. He has been an adjudicator for many national and international piano competitions in the US and Asia.
Sugiura has recorded eight CD albums for such labels as Klavier Records, Eroica Classical Recordings, T. K. Music Productions and Indiana University Latin American Music Center. His performances have been featured on television and radio, broadcast nationally and internationally. Active as an editor, his editions of chamber music scores are published by Ludwig Masters Music Publications.
A native of Japan, Nariaki Sugiura began piano studies with his mother at age five. Under the tutelage of Michel Block and Shigeo Neriki, he received his Masters and Doctor of Music in Piano Performance degrees from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Other prominent teachers include Alicia de Larrocha, Friedrich Schurr, Naomi Ebihara and Leonard Hokanson. He has won prizes at numerous competitions, including the 1999 and 2000 Indianapolis Matinee Musicale Competition Top Prizes. He was laureate of the 1993 National Music Competition in Tokyo and of the Annual Competition of Music from Spain and Latin America in 1999.
