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Born in Obihiro, Japan, Hiromi Okada studied at the Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo where he graduated with the highest honours. In 1984 he won first prizes in three international piano competitions in Barcelona, Tokyo and Pretoria, and then moved to London to study with Maria Curucio before making his Wigmore Hall début in 1985 and receiving outstanding critical acclaim — “undoubtedly a star of the future” (Daily Telegraph). Hilary Finch has commented in The Times, “A technique of massive assurance, imaginatively developed to articulate a passionately engaged musical understanding”. Recently, as well as touring extensively in Japan and throughout Europe, he has appeared as soloist with the Philharmonia Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra de Genova and major Japanese orchestras. His repertoire covers from classics to contemporary music. He also has performed at the numerous international music festivals including Mayfest (Glasgow, Scotland), La Roque d’Anthéron International Piano Festival (France), The Great Romantics Festival (Hamilton, Canada), Istanbul International Piano Festival, Philharmonic Week (Steinbach, Austria), Tokyo Summer Festival, and Kusatsu International Summer Music Academy and Festival. CDs are regularly released from Camerata Tokyo, Toshiba-EMI, and NAXOS receiving ecstatic reviews. He is working as a professor of piano in Toho Gakuen Graduate School since 2015. |
