Akira Mizutani

Born in Oita City, he graduated from Toho Gakuen School of Music with honors. He studied violin with Kenji Kobayashi, and chamber music with Koichiro Harada, Hakuro Mori, and the Tokyo Quartet. While a student, he formed the Verus String Quartet and received a grant from the Matsuo Academic Foundation, participating in the Yale University Summer Academy and the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival. He later won third place in the string quartet category at the 57th Munich International Music Competition.
In April 2010, he became the youngest concertmaster in Japan to serve as concertmaster of the Gunma Symphony Orchestra. He will serve as concertmaster of the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra from April 2013 to March 2023. During his 10 years with the orchestra, he released numerous CDs, including "A Hero's Life" conducted by Music Director Jonathan Nott.
He will become the concertmaster of the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra in April 2024, and currently serves as the guest concertmaster of the Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa. In addition to serving as the music director of the Yufuin Music Festival, he also performs as a chamber musician at music festivals around the country, including the Kiso Music Festival. He is also a lecturer at his alma mater, Toho Gakuen School of Music, where he is committed to nurturing the next generation of musicians. He is a Music Dialogue artist.