Festa Summer MUZA KAWASAKI 2025
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Megumi Tokuoka graduated and completed her graduate studies at Tokyo University of the Arts. Further studies at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hamburg in the organ class of Wolfgang Zerer followed. In 2001, she won the first prize at the Schnitger International Organ Competition in Alkmaar, the Netherlands, as well as the Audience Prize. In the same year, she was awarded the DAAD Prize at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hamburg and performed a commemorative concert at St. Jacobi Church in Hamburg. The following year, she won the second prize at the International Organ Competition of the Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR).

Since returning to Japan, she has performed in concert halls and churches throughout the country as well as in Europe. She has been exploring new possibilities of the organ, such as giving concerts in collaboration with Noh theatre and projection mapping.

Currently Megumi Tokuoka is Organist in Residence at Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre and Toyota City Concert Hall, and she is also a lecturer at Tokyo University of the Arts. She serves as an organist at Katakura Church of Christ and the International Christian University (ICU) in Tokyo.

She has recorded several CDs, among them “Schumann and Brahms Organ Works” (Belgium), “10th Anniversary Toyota City Concert Hall Organ”, “Puer natus in Bethlehem” (Hamburg) and “Die Kunst von Buxtehude” (Stade).

A distinguished soprano with an extensive repertoire in songs and oratorios, she has performed as a soloist in numerous concerts, captivating audiences with her pure and expressive voice. Born in Aomori Prefecture, she graduated from Iwate University's Faculty of Education, majoring in Arts and Culture, and earned her master's and doctoral degrees from Tokyo University of the Arts. She received a Ph.D. for her research on Robert Schumann's songs and further trained in New York under the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs' Overseas Study Program. She studied with Masatoshi Sasaki, the late Tami Asakura, Chieko Teratani, Ira Siff, and Mignon Dunn. She won First Prize and the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award at the Yuuai German Lied Competition, as well as First Prize, the Iwatani Award, and the E. Nakamichi Award at the Japan Music Competition. Other honors include the Mitsubishi Estate Award and the Touou Cultural Award. As a soloist, she has performed major works by J.S. Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Mahler, and others. Her operatic roles include Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Adina (L'elisir d'amore), Mimì and Musetta (La Bohème), and Lola (Cavalleria Rusticana). She will perform as Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte) with the Kyoto Symphony Orchestra in 2026. She has collaborated with renowned conductors and orchestras. She appeared on NHK Classic TV and Disney on Classic. In 2022, her album Dearest Night (King Records) was selected as a Specially Recommended Disc by Record Geijutsu magazine. Starting in 2025, she will serve as Music Director of the Blue Sea and Forest Music Festival in Aomori, under the artistic direction of Nodoka Okisawa.

Japanese Soprano, Karin Tsunezuka was born in Ishikawa prefecture. Most recently, she sensationally debuted as Barbalina in Le Nozze di Figaro at the Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival, conducted by Nodoka Okisawa, and this success led her to another contract next year, as the covering role of Musetta in La Boheme for its main opera production.

After receiving a Master of Arts from the Opera course of Kunitachi College of Music, she joined Japan's renowned Nikikai Opera Training Institute, gaining invaluable professional opera training experience in a succession of the roles for the company. Ms. Tsunezuka received great acclaim by the performance at the Tokyo Nikikai Opera, singing the role of Ilia in Idomeneo, Concepción in L'Heure Espagnole and Flowermaidens in Parsifal.

Her passion for French art songs led her to Lyon, France in 2015. She studied the core essence of French repertoires such as Duparc, Debussy, and Poulenc with a world-renowned French opera singer, Flançoise Pollet.

With her vocal versatility, her potential has been broadening. Her recent repertoires include Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, Pamina in Die Zauberflöte. She also performed concert soloist roles, such as Bach's Matthäus-Passion, Mozart's Mass in C Minor, Beethoven's Symphony No.9, Verdi's Requiem, Rutter's Manificat, and Haydn's Die Schöpfung and so on.

She studied at Kunitachi College of Music, with Yukiko Iwasaki, Keiko Koizumi, and Eiko Soga. She is a member of Tokyo Nikikai Opera Foundation.

Born in Iwate Prefecture. Graduated from Iwate University, Faculty of Education, Arts and Culture Course, Music Course. Completed the Doctoral Course in Solo Singing at Tokyo University of the Arts.D. degree in music in the study of Johannes Brahms's songs.

She won the first prize at the 16th Japan-France Vocal Competition and was awarded the 2012 Mitsubishi Estate Prize.

She has performed J.S. Bach's "Christmas Oratorio", "Mass in B minor", "St.Matthew Passion", "St.John Passion", Handel's "Messiah", Mozart, Verdi, Dvořák, Duruflé's "Requiem", Beethoven's "Symphony No. 9", "Missa solemnimus", Schubert "Mass No. 5", "Mass No. 6",Mendelssohn's "Pauls" "Elijah", Dvořák's "Stabat Mater", Mahler's "Symphony No. 2","Symphony No. 3" ,"Symphony No. 8", and others.

She is a lecturer at Iwate University, Morioka University Junior College, and MCL Morioka Medical College.

Hayato OKI, Lyric Tenor is a graduate of Tokyo National University Fine Arts and Music.

He was a finalist in the 13th International Mario Lanza Competition (Isernia, Italy), the 48th Japan-Italy Vocal Competition (Japan), and the 16th Altamura/Caruso Voice Competition (New York, USA).

In opera, he has performed roles such as Rodolfo in La Bohème, Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor, Riccardo in Un Ballo in Maschera, Alfredo in La Traviata, Roberto in Le Villi, the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto, Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, Manrico in Il Trovatore, the Father in The Seven Deadly Sins, and the Lover in Amelia al Ballo.

As a concert soloist, he has performed in works such as Mozart's Requiem and Great Mass in C minor, Mendelssohn's St. Paul, Bach's Christmas Oratorio, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 and Missa Solemnis, and Bruckner's Mass No. 1 and Te Deum.

He refined his skills in Milan, Italy, under Angel Loforeze and studied in New York, USA. During that time, he participated in the International Vocal Arts Institute as a scholarship student upon the recommendation of Mignon Dunn.

As a member of the opera unit Canto Cube, he has released two albums and has also released a solo album titled Hallelujah. He has performed with the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, the Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra, and the Osaka Symphony Orchestra.

Kunitachi College of Music graduate; studied at the NNT Opera Studio training programme and in London as an Agency for Cultural Affairs trainee. Was a guest singer in the Royal Opera House Jette Parker Young Artists Programme before completing the Dutch National Opera Academy. 2012 PMF concert soloist (con-ductor Fabio Luisi); sang Don Basilio II barbiere di Siviglia (conductor Marc Minkowski). Europe debut was in the Netherlands, as Leporello Don Giovanni. Also: Spring Festival in Tokyo Lohengrin Braban-tine Noble. His NNTT debut was Tannhäuser Reinmar, followed by Spring Festival in Tokyo Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg Hans Foltz. Soloist for Messiah, Verdi Requiem, Symphony No. 9. Also sang in Disney on Classic and the world premiere in Hanoi of Princess Anio marking the Japan-Vietnam Diplomatic Relations 50th anniversary. Nikikai member.