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​       (Biography in French is also available at the bottom of this page)

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Born in Tokyo, Japan, Kishin Nagai started playing the piano at the age of four. After studying in the class of Hiroshi Nagao at the Tokyo University of the Arts (Tokyo Geidai), he was unanimously admitted to the Conservatoire de Paris (CNSMDP) at the age of eighteen, where he later completed his three Bachelor’s degrees in Piano, Chamber Music and Accompaniment, as well as four Master’s degrees in Piano, Chamber Music, Vocal Accompaniment and Piano Accompaniment.​​ At the conservatoire, he studied with Jacques Rouvier, Denis Pascal, Hortense Cartier-Bresson, Michel Moragues, Anne Le Bozec, Claire Désert, Géraldine Dutroncy and Jean-Frédéric Neuburger.

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He has received numerous awards and recognitions at international competitions including Third Prize and the Special Prize for Best Interpretation of the Commissioned Work in the Lied Duo category at the Lyon International Chamber Music Competition in 2025, becoming the first Asian pianist to receive a prize in this category, as well as being one of four finalists for the prestigious Parkhouse Award in London in 2021.

He was also awarded the Pro Musicis International Award, the Académie des Beaux-Arts Prize (Second Prize) at the European Chamber Music Competition of FNAPEC, and was a semi-finalist in the Violin & Piano Duo category of the Lyon International Chamber Music Competition.​​​

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​An avid chamber music player, he often works with instrumentalists or singers, such as Jacques Deleplancque (Hr), Benoît de Barsony (Hr), Jérôme Comte (Cl), Eric-Maria Couturier (Vc), Vincent David (Sax), among many others.

​He has already appeared at many music festivals and on radio stations including Les Nuits d’été de Mâcon (France), Les Clefs de Saint-Pierre (France), the Festival International de Piano de La Roque d'Anthéron (France), "Générations France Musique, le live" (Radio France) both as a soloist and as a chamber musician, and has already performed on prestigious halls including the Salle Cortot in Paris, the Concert Hall at the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre and the Wigmore Hall in London.

​As a soloist, he already performed with different orchestras such as the Orchestre du Conservatoire (Paris Conservatoire Orchestra) and the Tokyo New City Orchestra, working with famous conductors including Pierre-André Valade.

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His discography includes En Italie, released by Initiale and recommended by Record Geijutsu Online and awarded four stars by Classica magazine; Béla Bartók: Sonatas & Rhapsodies for Violin and Piano, recorded with Magdalena Geka and released by Paraty, which received the Luister 10 distinction from Luister magazine and four tuning forks from Diapason magazine; and Five Verses, recorded with saxophonist Carlos Zaragoza and released by IBS Classical, which received the Melómano de Oro award from Melómano magazine.​

An album featuring French repertoire for French horn and piano, recorded in duo with French horn player Jacques Deleplancque, is scheduled for release.

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Since 2022, he has been teaching as a collaborative pianist at the Conservatoire de Paris (CNSMDP), working with Flute, Horn and Double Bass classes. 

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Né à Tokyo, au Japon, Kishin Nagai a fait ses études au lycée attaché à Tokyo University of the Arts (Tokyo Geidai) puis à l'université. Admis à l’unanimité à l'âge de 18 ans dans la classe de piano au Conservatoire de Paris, il a poursuivi ses études dans la classe de musique de chambre, d’accompagnement vocal et d’accompagnement au piano, auprès de Jacques Rouvier, Denis Pascal, Hortense Cartier-Bresson, Michel Moraguès, Anne Le Bozec, Claire Désert, Emmanuel Strosser, Jean-Frédéric Neuburger et Géraldine Dutroncy. 

 

Finaliste du prestigieux concours international de musique de chambre « Parkhouse Award » à Londres et lauréat du Prix de l'Académie des Beaux-Arts (2e prix) du Concours européen de musique d’ensemble de la FNAPEC, il remporte 3e prix ainsi que le Prix de la meilleure interprétation de l'œuvre commandée du Concours International de Musique de Chambre de Lyon (Duo voix et piano / Lied et Mélodie).

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Chambriste passionné, il collabore avec des artistes, parmi lesquels le clarinettiste Jérôme Comte, le corniste Benoît de Barsony, le violoncelliste Éric-Maria Couturier, et le saxophoniste Vincent David. Il s’est produit dans des salles renommées (la Salle Cortot, Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre Concert Hall, le Wigmore Hall à Londres...) et dans des festivals et des émissions (les « Clefs de St Pierre » à Toulouse, Festival de l’Épau, Le Festival International de Piano de La Roque d'Anthéron, Générations France Musique Le Live...).

 

Ses enregistrements, tels que « En Italie », un album dédié aux compositrices lauréates du Prix de Rome: Lili Boulanger, Jeanne Leleu et Marguerite Canal (Label Initiale), « Sonates et Rhapsodies pour violon et piano de Bartók » (Paraty Label) avec Magdalena Geka, « Five Verses » (IBS Classical) avec le saxophoniste Carlos Zaragoza, ont tous été salués par la presse française et internationale (4 étoiles de Classica, 4 diapasons de Diapason, Prix de Lusiter 10 de Pays-Bas, Prix de Melómano de Oro d’Espagne, Album recommandé sur Record Geijutsu Online de Japon...).

Un nouvel album autour de la musique française pour cor et piano avec le corniste Jacques Deleplancque (prof. de cor au CNSMDP et ancien supersoliste de l'Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse) est prévu pour 2026.

(www.kishinnagai.com)

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