Biography

Kazumitsu Ujisawa is a Japanese pianist based in Paris.

He began the piano at the age of six and, as a child, also learned the violin, the trombone, the koto and the Electone. In 2015, at just 17 years old, he became the youngest winner of the prestigious VEGA Competition in Takarazuka, Japan — an achievement that marked the beginning of a promising career. He went on to perform in recital in major Japanese cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, captivating audiences with his expressive playing and technical mastery.

In Japan, he studied with Hiroko Takeda, Tomoko Nakagawa, Manami Hara, Atsuhiko Shimizu and Osamu Naruse. After graduating from the music course of Nishinomiya High School (Hyōgo Prefecture), he entered the Tokyo University of the Arts (GEIDAI) in 2016, where he refined his playing under the guidance of Akiyoshi Sako. The following year, he moved to Paris, where he was accepted into the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP). There, he earned a Bachelor’s degree in the class of Roger Muraro before completing his Master’s degree under the direction of Michel Dalberto and Jonas Vitaud.

In 2024, he was selected, on a full scholarship, to join the Elite Program at the École Normale de Musique de Paris (École Cortot), a select class of ten exceptional students, including only three pianists, where he studied with Marie-Catherine Girod. Since September 2025, he has also been studying with Leonid Margarius at the Fondazione Accademia Internazionale di Imola. In parallel, he is completing a degree in accompaniment at the CNSMDP under the guidance of Géraldine Dutroncy, developing a particular expertise in this art, enriching his musical palette and expanding his skill set.

He has also taken part in masterclasses with Dmitri Alexeev, Michel Béroff, Jean-Philippe Collard, Stephen Kovacevich, Jean-Claude Pennetier, and Dang Thai Son.

His passion for the Spanish repertoire has earned him a special place among pianists of his generation. In 2016, he performed Books I and III of Albéniz’s Iberia in Tokyo. In 2021, he gave a recital devoted to works by Albéniz, Granados, and Mompou in Hyogo, and in 2022 he distinguished himself in Osaka, at the Hibiki Music Salon, by performing the complete Goyescas by Granados, further confirming his unique affinity for this repertoire. More recently, he appeared alongside Michel Dalberto at the Festival Radio France Occitanie Montpellier in a program dedicated to Albéniz.

Recent seasons have taken him to some of the finest stages in France and Japan: the Salle Gaveau and the Salle Cortot in Paris, the Musée Guimet, the Festival de Musique d’Ouessant, as well as recitals in Osaka, Kobe, and Tokyo.

His talent has been repeatedly recognized: in 2018, he received support from the Tarazzi Fund, followed in 2020 by prestigious scholarships from the Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe, the Meyer Foundation, and the L’Or du Rhin Foundation. In 2022, he was once again a laureate of the Meyer Foundation.

Competitions have crowned his efforts: in 2023, he won First Prize at the Claude Kahn Competition, which led to a performance at the prestigious Salle Gaveau in Paris. That same year, he was awarded Second Prize at the Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux Competition and Third Prize at the Brest Competition. He is also a prizewinner of the Fujairah International Piano Competition.

He is a member of the Nishinomiya Music Association.

Kazumitsu Ujisawa embodies rigor, sensitivity, and boldness — qualities that make him a compelling presence on the international music scene.