WATARU MASHIMO

PIANO

Wataru Mashimo began his piano studies in Fukuoka, Japan, and later continued at the Music High School affiliated with Tokyo University of the Arts under Professor Takashi Hironaka.

At the age of sixteen, he was selected as a promising talent for a series of monthly concerts organized by Bunkyo Gakki, a musical instrument company. This project aimed to develop young musicians through collaborations with legendary artists Yoko Kubo (violin) and Ko Iwasaki (cello) over two years, starting in 2014.

In 2015, he transferred to Italy and enrolled at the Imola International Academy, where he earned his bachelorʼs degree with honors from the academy, becoming the first graduate since the academy established this new university program, in 2022; and in 2025, he also obtained his master’s degree with honors at the academy.

During his studies in Italy, he has received awards in prestigious competitions such as the 29th Clara Haskil Piano Competition in Vevey, Switzerland, and the 33rd A. Casagrande Piano Competition in Terni, Italy. He has also been invited to perform at international music festivals held in prominent venues, including the Main Hall of Wallenstein Palace for the “Young Prague” music festival in the Czech Republic, the Hindemith Foundation in Switzerland, Teatro Vittoria for the “EstOvest Festival” in Turin, Italy, “Casa Mozart” for the Mozart Association Italy, and the Steinway Salons in Vienna and Milan.

In 2025, he achieved great success on a tour with the Senzaspine Orchestra. His other appearances with orchestras include the Imola Chamber Orchestra, Zermatt Festival Orchestra, Italian Youth Orchestra, and Abruzzo Symphonic Orchestra.

He is an alumnus of the Lieven Piano Foundation in Vienna and was also a grant recipient sponsored by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan. In 2024, he has been conferred the special prize at the Mediterranean International Piano Festival in Bari in Italy.

He is currently pursuing a masterʼs degree, studying piano under Maestro Ingrid Fliter and Maestro Leonid Margarius, and chamber music with Maestro Marco Zuccarini on a scholarship at Imola. There, he regularly collaborates with educational projects organized every year with young students to encourage the new generations to listen and understand classical music.

In addition to his activity as a soloist, he is very active in the field of chamber music. He has already won a prize at the 4th International Chamber Music Competition “il Gaspalo da Salò” and  has been recognized as a “promising artist” at the Quartet and Chamber Music Forum organized by Delian:: Quartett and “Roero Cultural Events”.

Recently, he was selected as a member to participate in the project “Giovani Talenti Musicali Italiani nel Mondo,” an established in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy and CIDIM.