CHARLES RICHARD-HAMELIN

Artist’s website

Clamour for Kyohei Sorita’s Vancouver debut recital was so high that we knew we had to arrange his return!

The artistic find of the 18th International Chopin Competition, Kyohei Sorita’s playing at the competition touched the hearts of the Varsovian audience, and caught the ears of the discerning jury members, with his heartfelt and mature interpretations. He was awarded the silver medal, the highest prize for a Japanese-born pianist since Mitsuko Uchida’s second prize in 1970.

Anna Debowska, writing for the Gazeta Wyborcza, praised his performance of Chopin’s 1st piano concerto as being the highlight of the competition, “The ripe found kept changing its colour, shape and weight.” From another writer covering the same event: “…one pianist…whose musical maturity, imagination, poetry, and technical prowess have fused seamlessly to blissful proportion. His name is Kyohei Sorita.” Since his ravishing performances in Warsaw, Sorita has been extremely busy, performing both in his native Japan and internationally.

A conductor as well as pianist, Sorita founded the Japan National Orchestra in 2019, a 17-member chamber orchestra. A superstar in his native country, almost every single concert he gives in Japan is invariably sold out. In August of 2025, he will make his debut at the highly prestigious Salzburg Festival as both pianist and conductor in an all-Mozart programme.