Tetsutaro Nakatani
Violin
Born in 2009, Tetsutaro Nakatani began playing the violin at the age of three under Atsuko Yamazawa.
In 2025, he won First Prize at the 94th Music Competition of Japan, together with the Iwatani Prize (Audience Prize), the Kuroyanagi Prize, the Leucadia Prize, the Sumi Prize and the INPEX Prize. In 2026, he won Second Prize at the 8th Ysaÿe International Music Competition. In 2025, he also received the Kirishima International Music Festival Prize and the Music Director Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi Prize at the 46th Kirishima International Music Festival, and in 2026, the 13th Arion Music Award. In 2023, he won First Prize in the junior high school division of the 77th Student Music Concours of Japan, in both the national final and the Tokyo round, together with the Togi Prize and the Uzuka Prize. At the 76th edition of the same competition, he received the Special Prize for Fine Instruments, and with it the loan of a 1774 G. Gagliano violin from the Suntory Foundation for Arts.
In 2016, he appeared as a soloist with the HAMA no JACK orchestra. Since then he has performed with orchestras including the Central Aichi Symphony Orchestra, the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Kyushu Symphony Orchestra, the Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra, the Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra and the Geidai Philharmonia Orchestra, Tokyo. Abroad, he has taken part in music festivals in Belgium and Germany, and has attended masterclasses with Mihaela Martin, Philippe Graffin and others. He has performed at the Embassy of Switzerland, and has appeared on NHK Radio's Recital Passio, on Tokyo FM's BLUE OCEAN and at La Folle Journée TOKYO 2026. He also gives performances in local communities, hospitals, schools and kindergartens.
He has studied with Fuminori Shinozaki, Yuko Iwasaki and Issei Kobayashi, and with Yasuko Ohtani at the Tokyo University of the Arts Junior Academy. He currently studies with Yuki Ishihara, Tatsuki Narita and Tsugio Tokunaga. He is a third-year student at the Music High School attached to the Faculty of Music, Tokyo University of the Arts, where he studies with Natsumi Tamai.
He plays a 1779 J. B. Guadagnini violin, generously loaned by the ITOH Foundation.
CHANEL Pygmalion Days 2027 Artist.
(As of October, 2026)
In 2025, he won First Prize at the 94th Music Competition of Japan, together with the Iwatani Prize (Audience Prize), the Kuroyanagi Prize, the Leucadia Prize, the Sumi Prize and the INPEX Prize. In 2026, he won Second Prize at the 8th Ysaÿe International Music Competition. In 2025, he also received the Kirishima International Music Festival Prize and the Music Director Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi Prize at the 46th Kirishima International Music Festival, and in 2026, the 13th Arion Music Award. In 2023, he won First Prize in the junior high school division of the 77th Student Music Concours of Japan, in both the national final and the Tokyo round, together with the Togi Prize and the Uzuka Prize. At the 76th edition of the same competition, he received the Special Prize for Fine Instruments, and with it the loan of a 1774 G. Gagliano violin from the Suntory Foundation for Arts.
In 2016, he appeared as a soloist with the HAMA no JACK orchestra. Since then he has performed with orchestras including the Central Aichi Symphony Orchestra, the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Kyushu Symphony Orchestra, the Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra, the Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra and the Geidai Philharmonia Orchestra, Tokyo. Abroad, he has taken part in music festivals in Belgium and Germany, and has attended masterclasses with Mihaela Martin, Philippe Graffin and others. He has performed at the Embassy of Switzerland, and has appeared on NHK Radio's Recital Passio, on Tokyo FM's BLUE OCEAN and at La Folle Journée TOKYO 2026. He also gives performances in local communities, hospitals, schools and kindergartens.
He has studied with Fuminori Shinozaki, Yuko Iwasaki and Issei Kobayashi, and with Yasuko Ohtani at the Tokyo University of the Arts Junior Academy. He currently studies with Yuki Ishihara, Tatsuki Narita and Tsugio Tokunaga. He is a third-year student at the Music High School attached to the Faculty of Music, Tokyo University of the Arts, where he studies with Natsumi Tamai.
He plays a 1779 J. B. Guadagnini violin, generously loaned by the ITOH Foundation.
CHANEL Pygmalion Days 2027 Artist.
(As of October, 2026)
