KENSUKE OTA

AGE 41  I  YOKOHAMA, JAPAN  I  JAPAN
RESEARCH SCIENTIST

Kensuke Ota has been dedicated to both science and music since very early in his life, having maintained an outstanding level of commitment to each. The former led him to earn B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Tokyo, after which he’s worked in semiconductor device research for the Toshiba Corporation and, now, emerging memory device science for the Kioxia Corporation. Meanwhile, Kensuke has studied with the same piano teacher for 32 years—since he was 6. He won or placed second in amateur competitions in Tokyo, St. Petersburg, Chicago, Paris, Colorado Springs, and Osaka. This marks his first appearance at the Cliburn, and he looks forward to gauging his current skill, to enjoying the performance, and to finding stimulation in fellow pianists. Outside of these passions, he likes to travel, and to play both soccer and table tennis.

Repertoire

Preliminary Round

HAYDN Sonata in C Major, Hob. XVI:50 (I)
BALAKIREV Islamey (Oriental Fantasy)

Semifinal Round 

SCARLATTI Sonata in G Major, K. 455
LISZT Après une lecture du Dante: Fantasia quasi Sonata
TOKUYAMA Musica NARA, op. 25
SOUSA–HOROWITZ “The Stars and Stripes Forever”

Final Round 

PROKOFIEV Concerto No. 3 in C Major, op. 26 (III)