Asagi Nakata
Asagi Nakata was most recently awarded 1st Prize in the Gothenburg International Competition, Sweden (2022), 1st Prize in the Jean Sibelius International Competition, Finland (2022) and 3rd Prize in the Montecatini International Competition, Italy (2022). Other recent achievements include 1st Prize in the Budapest Liszt Ferenc Competition (2019) and 3rd Prize in the Paderewski In Memoriam International Piano Competition (2021). She was also one of fourteen finalists selected to participate in the 12th Franz Liszt Utrecht Competition (2020) which was regrettably cancelled due to the pandemic. Asagi was nevertheless listed in 4th place for the Audience Prize.
She is an award winner of several other international competitions including Franz Liszt Weimar (2009), EPTA Belgian International (2009), the Beethoven Piano Society of Europe Junior (2010), and runner up in the 2015 Windsor International Piano Competition. Other successes include First Prize in the Marlow International Concerto Competition (2007), Third Prize in the James Mottram International Competition (2008), Fourth Prize in the Ettlingen International Competition (2010), Third Prize in the WPTA international piano Competition (2019), and Third Prize in the 1st International Amadeus Piano Competition (2019).
Asagi has performed at the Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, St. James’s Piccadilly, Steinway Hall and all the major halls in London. Performances abroad include Japan, Russia, Serbia, Croatia, Holland, Italy, Belgium, Prague, Hungary, Morocco, France, Germany in the presence of Alfred Brendel, and Poland where she was invited as guest performer at the 64th Duszniki International Chopin piano festival. She has performed with the Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra of South Bohemia, Southbank Sinfonia, and Finchley Chamber Orchestra. Asagi was a guest musician on BBC Radio 3 performing live for the 'In Tune' series presented by Sean Rafferty (2019) and was awarded full scholarship from the Adam Gyorgy Foundation to attend the New York Franz Liszt festival (2021).
Asagi studied at the Royal Academy of Music with Christopher Elton and Tatiana Sarkissova as a Constance Bastard Memorial Scholar and graduated with Distinction in 2018. In recognition of her achievements at the Royal Academy of Music, Asagi was awarded the Greta Parkinson Prize, Vivian Langrish Prize, the Peter Latham gift, the Nancy Dickinson Award, and notably, the “Francis Simms Prize” for outstanding studentship and exceptionally high final recital mark. She previously studied privately with Benjamin Kaplan, and with a scholarship at the Junior Department of the Royal College with Ian Jones.
Asagi is grateful for the support from the Oleg Prokofiev Trust, Drake Calleja Trust, Talent Unlimited, and The Countess of Munster Musical Trust for their Derek Butler Award. She is also a Concordia Foundation Artist.