Born in 1977 in Turin, Italy, started the practice of the violin with Prof. E. Guizzardi.

After graduation from the Turin Conservatory of Music “G.Verdi”, a year earlier than usual and with distinction, Mauro Iurato received a scholarship to study with renowned musicians such as F. Gulli, C. Romano and S. Accardo.

In 1998 he started attending the University of Music in Vienna under the guidance of Prof. M. Frischenschlager who, since then, has become his mentor as well as his artistic and pedagogic guidance. It is from the very encounter with this great master that he drew new inspiration on how to approach the study of the violin with a deeper and more authentic look at the true nature of music and its innate ethical and spiritual function.

In 2003, within a project of academic exchange with the Vienna University of Music, Mauro Iurato came to Japan as Associate Professor at the Tokushima Bunri University, where he served till 2009.

From 2005 to 2017 he was principal concertmaster of the Ensemble Kobe, and in addition he has appeared as a guest concertmaster with major Japanese orchestras such as the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa, the HPAC Orchestra, and the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra.

Beside his teaching and concert activity, e has given speech at TEDxYouth@Kobe, and also performed with the pop duo Yuzu with which he cooperated for the recording of the single “OLA!”.

As a dedicated pedagogue, Mauro Iurato is regularly invited to teach in world renown master courses such as the International Summer Academy of Salzburg Mozarteum University, the International Academy Orpheus Vienna, the FMK Madrid, the Summer Talent Master-courses in Brescia, and many other courses in Japan and abroad.

He is a lecturer at Soai University's School of Music and at the Hyogo Prefectural Nishinomiya Music High School.

Since 2022 he is appointed as "Music Producer" for the Kobe City Chuo Ward Cultural Center.

With the aim of providing world-class music education, in 2010 he established the “Harmonia KOBE Music School”.
Since then his students have won many top awards in national and international competitions, including the Mainichi Competition, the E. Kamilarov Competition, the F. Kreisler Competition, the J. Brahms Competition.

Mauro Iurato was awarded with the “Excellent Teacher Award” at the E. Kamilarov Competition in Sofia, the “Excellent Teacher Award” at the Japan Classical Music Competition, the “Excellent Teacher Award” at the All Japan Junior Classical Music Competition.

He was also awarded with the “Excellent Kobe Art Award 2019”.

Mauro Iurato performs on the 1690 G. Cappa's "Colla della Chiesa”, a violin once owned by the great Turin violinist G. Pugnani.

Started the practice of the violin a two years and 10 months old.

She studied under Shinji Nishizaki, Takako Nishizaki, the late Mayumi Shindo, Hisao Kawakami, Mitsuko Segawa, Luigi Gamberini, Paolo Chiavacci and Mauro Iurato.

She graduated in violin at the Tokyo Showa Music University and completed a Course of Study (major in violin) an the Orchestra Academy of the Toho Music University in Tokyo.

Yuko Kurabayashi studied abroad in Italy, at the Conservatorio “L. Cherubini” di Firenze under Prof. Luigi Gamberini (violin) , and at the Conservatorio “B. Maderna” di Cesena under Prof. Paolo Chiavacci (chamber music).

During her stay in Firenze she took part to orchestra, chamber music and opera concerts at the Summer Music Festival in Firenze and San Gimignano.
She also took part in the Bertinoro Summer School, with the aim of deepen her curriculum of studies in Italy.

After going back to Japan, she taught violin at a music school brach of the Showa Music University in Tokyo.

Since 2010 she is Mauro Iurato’s Assistant Violin Instructor at the Harmonia Kobe were, also inspired by her own experience as mother of a young child, she is taking particular care of the youngest and of the beginners.

– Days to teach –
Saturday

– Accepting Level –
from Introduction and Beginner

Yuko began to practice violin at the age of 5.

She graduated in violin at the Toho Gakuen College Of Drama and Music and in Faculty of letters at the Hakushuin University. She studied under Masumi Mizusawa, Miho Shimokawa, Chiyoko Noguchi and Mauro Iurato.

She has performed solo and joint concerts at Yokohama yamatenishi Western-style, museums and welfare facilities.

When she was college student, she started to teach at the Music School and own house in Yokohama. In 2009 she established the “Violin School YOU” in Takarazuka.14 years of teaching experience.She has taught more than 80 people from 3 years old to senior.

She takes care of her kind lessons so that students can play without difficulty according to students’ age, goals and parents’ wishes. Through the lessons, she wants to feel the greatness and fun of music.If you can’t read the score, she will teach you how to read the score using Solfege and cards.

– Days to teach –
Friday

– Accepting Level –
from Introduction and Beginner

– Profile –
Nami was born in Hyogo.She graduated in Violin at the Tokyo University of the art.When she was student, she got the highnest score on the University and received FUKUSHIMA Prize.She won the great prizes in the Music Competition of Japan and VIVAHALL Cello competition.She has performanced recitals all over the world in Europe and the United States.In 1996, she won the diploma at Krems music festival（in Austria）.In 2004, she performed with Colin Carr at Bach Annalia in the University of Cincinnati（in the U.S.）.
She studied under Martin Ostertag in the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe,David Geringas, Antonio Meneses,Walter Nothas and Philipp Muller at the Master courses.

– Days to teach –
Tuesday

– Accepting Level –
from Introduction and Beginner

– Profile –
Mariko graduated in Piano at the Tokyo University of the art.After that, she completed in Piano and Chamber Music at the Accademia Pianistica Internazionale “Incontri col Maestro”.She has performed with the famous conductors such as Yuri Khatuevich Temirkanov, Anton Nanut　and have performed many recitals and music festivals all over Italy.
She got Aoyama Music Award in 2007.She perfoemed NHK-FM Recital of the famous pieces and other concerts.She is active as a soloist, chamber musician and take charge of the Master courses and play at the concerts in Italy and Spain.
She studied Piano under Moto Sasaki, Akiko Hata, Machiko Kaku, Hitoshi Kobayashi, Akira Imai, Franco Scala, Lazar Berman, Éric Heidsieck, Paul Badura-Skoda, and studied Chamber Music under Pierre Narciso Merge.
She teaches at the Osaka Kyoiku University, Soai University and Hyogo Prefectural Nishinomiya High School.

– Days to teach –
Wednesday- Accepting Level –
from Beginner

– Profile –
Yumi graduated in Faclty of Human Development at Kobe University.She began to learn piano under Rumi Itoh and composition under Narihitoemon Etoh as a child.She played her debut recital in 2008, she continued to play her concerts ten times until 2017.
She is acting as a teacher and accompanist of Chorus.As a composer, she has been in charge of music for the theater company Doro for many years from 2001.
She composes arrangement pieces on the theme of Japanese nursery rhymes and songs for Rumi Itoh’s concert every year and gets god reviews.

– Days to teach –
Sunday

– Accepting Level –
Introduction, Beginner, Intermediate, Advance

– Profile –
Rita D´Arcangelo, graduated in flute, with honors, at the Conservatory of Music “L. D’Annunzio ” in Pescara (Italy), she then graduated also at the “Royal Northern College of Music “in Manchester, “ the International Academy of Music in Milan ” and ” the Hochschule fuer Musik” in Mannheim. Rita studied with Sir James Galway for many years, following the masterclasses of the Weggis Flute Festival in Switzerland, where she won the gold Nagahara 14K flute headjoint in 2008 and was invited as Guest Artist in 2016 and 2019.First prize in numerous international competitions, she made her debut as soloist in 2011 at the Carnegie Hall in New York. She’s one of the few flautists to have in repertoire the Concierto Pastoral by J. Rodrigo. She recorded for the German radios SR2, SWR and WDR, the Japanese National Television NHK and for the Vatican Radio. As a first flute she worked at the “HPAC Orchestra” and the Osaka Philarmonic Orchestra in Japan; Filharmonia Gorzowska, the United Chamber Orchestra and the Kammersolisten der Deutschen Oper Berlin. As chamber musician she plays in Duo with pianist Giuliano Mazzoccante and guitarist Jakub Kościuszko. She’s flute professor at the Department of Music of the German State University BTU – Cottbus, at the private University Akademie für Musik in Berlin, where she is also head of department for the orchestral instruments and regularly teaches in masterclasses in Asia, Europe and U.S.A.
The published discography includes: Chedeville: “The Pastor Fido”, 6 sonatas for flute and continuo (Wide Classique 2010); “Allegro con Brio” (Wide Classique 2012) in duo with Giuliano Mazzoccante, winner of the Award of Excellence in the Instrumental Performance Solo category of the Global Music Awards, Los Angeles, U.S.A; “A Virtuoso Journey”, (2015 Centaur) winner of the “Gold Medal Winner – Award of Excellence” of the Global Music Awards, Los Angeles, U.S.A; “Rita D’Arcangelo – Jakub Kościuszko” (QBK – 2016); “Solo Bach” (Centaur 2017) dedicated to solo flute music by J.S.Bach and C.Ph.E.Bach with also some transcriptions made by Rita D´Arcangelo, from the repertoire for violin and cello by J.S.Bach. “Inspired by Rita D´Arcangelo” (QBK 2019) a world premiere recording of new pieces inspired by her art; “20th century and 21st century Fantasies and Romances for flute and piano” (DaVinci Classics C00317) in duo with Giuliano Mazzoccante, a collection of the most beautiful romances and fantasies for flute and piano together with some new compositions deditated to the two artists. Rita D’Arcangelo is a Nagahara Flutes Artist and plays on a beautiful instrument crafted expressly for her by Kanichi Nagahara.
www.ritadarcangelo.com

- Biography -

After performing as a trumpet player in a studio orchestra, he worked as a writer for a broadcasting company before becoming a "writer and music critic".

He conceived and wrote the script for "Opera Rakugo," a combination of opera and rakugo, as well as scripts for musical stage productions (Osaka Philharmonic Pops, Ensemble Vega, etc.) and music TV programs.

In recent years, he has been devoting himself to writing poetry and lyrics, and is currently working on a series of new "songs" and operas with composer Akira Miyagawa.

Published books: "Encore to My Father's Back: The True Face of Takashi Asahina", etc.

Scripts: Operakugo (The Suitmaker's Clever Marriage), Donnaranna! Wagashiya no Roudoki 《Take the sweet bean paste! Music Drama "I am Beethoven! lyrics= Chorus suite "Shonen no toki" (Boy's Clock), Hideki Matsui's official cheering song "Eikono no michi" (The road of glory), Opera "Ashita no hitomi" - Another future, Opera "Black Jack" - Three chapters about time, Chorus suite, Nine scenes for boys and girls and "town" 《Cantare! Akantare!