Saturday, March 29 | 4:00 PM
USC Newman Recital Hall  
3616 Trousdale Pkwy, Los Angeles, CA 90089
FREE admission | RSVP Required
Reception in Herklotz Courtyard to follow the concert

Sunday, March 30 | 5:00 PM
Holocaust Museum
100 The Grove Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90036
FREE admission | RSVP Required

AKA Duo makes a triumphant return to Los Angeles for the Polish Music Center’s Spring Concert in USC’s Newman Recital Hall on March 29 and at the Holocaust Museum Loan March 30. Comprised of violinist Seina Matsuoka and pianist Yuto Kiguchi, this acclaimed Japanese ensemble has focused much of their repertoire on Polish composers. They are 2023 winners of the Chamber Music Competition in Rzeszów, Poland, and have garnered awards at other prestigious competitions across Europe. For the 2025 Polish Music Spring Concert at USC, AKA Duo will perform the rarely heard Sonata for Violin and Piano by I. J. Paderewski, alongside works by other Polish composers. At the Holocaust Museum LA, the duo will perform works by Polish-Jewish composers.

Violinist Seina Matsuoka and pianist Yuto Kiguchi met at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and have performed as the AKA Duo since 2018. Currently they are studying with Professor Stefan Mendl, pianist of the Vienna Piano Trio, and Professor Peter Schuhmayer, first violinist of the Artis Quartet. The AKA Duo’s repertoire focuses on violin and piano repertoire from classical and romantic literature as well as contemporary works written for this ensemble.

The AKA Duo won the First Prize and the Audience Prize at the Rospigliosi International Chamber Music Competition in Italy in 2020 and followed it in March 2023 with the First Prize and Special Prize at the Pinerolo Torino International Chamber Music Competition, one of the most important international chamber music competitions.

In July of 2023, the AKA Duo became the first Asian performers to unanimously win the First Prize, the Miłosz Magin Award and the Best Contemporary Music Performance Award at the Third International Polish Music Competition in the chamber music category. Following on this success they were invited to perform at concerts and festivals across Europe and the United States during the 2024-2025 concert season including, among others, at the Paderewski Festival in Paso Robles, California, Chopin and His Europe International Festival in Warsaw organized by the Fryderyk Chopin Institute, and the Clara’s Flower Album Festival at the Vienna Musikverein.

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.