October 26, 2024 at 2:00 PM
JAPAN HOUSE
6801 Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90028
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October 31, 20204 at 7:00 PM
2024 Paderewski Festival in Paso Robles
Park Ballroom 1232 Park St #200, Paso Robles, CA 93446
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Join us for unforgettable concerts featuring the acclaimed talents of violinist Seina Matsuoka and pianist Yuto Kiguchi known as AKA Duo. Since their formation in 2018, this dynamic duo has taken the European classical music scene by storm, earning top prizes in international competitions including the first prize, the Miłosz Magin Prize, and the Best Contemporary Music Performance Prize at the 3rd International Competition of Polish Music in the chamber music category.

For their Los Angeles debut at the Japan House on October 26th, AKA Duo will showcase their mastery of romantic and contemporary repertoires with a program spanning two centuries. The performance will feature works by Beethoven, alongside Polish composers Witold Lutosławski, Miłosz Magin, and Mieczysław Weinberg. This unique intersection of Japanese artistry and Polish musical heritage promises an evening of virtuosic sound and cultural richness. On October 31st, AKA Duo will open the 2024 Paderewski Festival in Paso Robles, where they will honor the legacy of the legendary composer and pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski. Their program will include sonatas by Beethoven and Paderewski as well as works by Witold Lutosławski and Miłosz Magin.

Under the artistic direction of Marek Zebrowski, the Paderewski Festival (October 31 – November 3) will feature chamber music for both classical and tango jazz lovers, as well as orchestral concert with the SLO Symphony. Works by Paderewski and his Polish contemporaries will be celebrated, complemented by performances from world-renowned musicians.

Seina Matsuoka
Violinist

In 2023, Seina Matsuoka achieved significant recognition by winning first prize at the Szymanowski International Competition, along with three special awards. Her numerous accolades include the 17th Matsukata Hall Music Award, the 23rd ABC Newcomer Concert Best Music Award, and the 2nd Prize at the 5th Soji Angel Violin Competition. In 2018, she was awarded the 28th Aoyama Music Award Newcomer Prize and was a semi-finalist at the 2019 Queen Elisabeth International Competition. She also received the Jury Encouragement Prize at the 8th Sendai International Competition, as well as the 1st Prize and Commissioned Work Prize at the 1st International Music Competitions VŠMU, and a Special Prize at the 10th Fritz Kreisler International Competition.

As a chamber musician, Seina collaborates with pianist Yuto Kiguchi in AKA Duo. Together, they won both first and audience prizes at the 26th Giulio Rospigliosi International Chamber Music Competition. In March 2023, they won first and special prizes at the Pinerolo e Torino International Chamber Music Competition. In July 2023, AKA Duo won the first prize, the Miłosz Magin Prize, and the Best Contemporary Music Performance Prize at the 3rd International Competition of Polish Music in the chamber music category.

Seina has performed with esteemed orchestras, including the Kansai Philharmonic Orchestra, Osaka Symphony Orchestra, Central Aichi Symphony Orchestra, and Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra. She is a recipient of the Aoyama Foundation Music Scholarship (2013-2016), a Rotary Club of RI District 2680 Scholarship, and the 2024 Rohm Music Foundation Scholarship.

She graduated from the Special Performance Course at Souai University’s Faculty of Music and is currently enrolled at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, having moved to Europe in 2017. She has studied violin with Machie Oguri, Michael Frischenschlager and Peter Schuhmayer, and chamber music with Stefan Mendl and Johannes Meissl.

Yuto Kiguchi
Pianist

Yuto Kiguchi has garnered significant accolades in recent years, including the second prize in the piano section of the 19th Khachaturian International Competition and the Classical Sonata Prize. As part of the AKA Duo with violinist Seina Matsuoka, he won

first prize and a special prize at the 17th Pinerolo e Torino International Chamber Music Competition in March 2023. In July 2023, they received first prize in the chamber music category at the 3rd International Competition of Polish Music, where they also received the Miłosz Magin Prize and the Best Contemporary Music Performance Award.

In 2024, Yuto performed as part of AKA Duo at the International Chopin and His Europe Festival in Warsaw. He also won the second prize (highest prize) at the 23rd Scriabin International Piano Competition and the Best Voice Accompanist Award at the 27th Johannes Brahms International Competition (with soprano Misaki Morino), gaining recognition in solo, song accompaniment, and chamber music.

Yuto has performed with notable orchestras, including the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra, Okayama Philharmonic Orchestra, Sereno Chamber Orchestra, and the Grosseto Symphony Orchestra. He was a trainee of the Agency for Cultural Affairs and received scholarships from the Rohm Music Foundation for 2020 and 2021. His honors include the Grand Prix at the Okayama Art and Culture Award, a commendation from the Takahashi City Board of Education, the Sanyo Newspaper Encouragement Award, and the Marsen Culture Award.

Yuto has released a solo CD, TOUCH: Beethoven, Scriabin & Barber (2018), and a duo album, Small Gifts (2020), with Misaki Morino. He completed his Master’s degree at the top of the piano class at Kyoto City University of Arts, where he received the Mayor’s Prize of Kyoto City. After his studies, he served as an accompanist at the same university before relocating to Austria. He later earned a Master’s degree in voice accompaniment at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw) under Markus Hadulla, as well as completing a post-graduate course in both voice accompaniment and chamber music departments with Stefan Mendl at mdw.