The Japanese marimbist Kiyohiko Kudo, born on 20th May 1988 in Tokyo, Japan, started to play the percussion at 5 years old and took lessons by Ms. Mari Sakai at the music school for children of Musashino Academia Musicae. From April 2007, he majored in marimba in the percussion department and studied under Prof. Kouya Nakatani at Musashino Academia Musicae.

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During his study, he was awarded the highest prize at „10th Chokho-Cup International Classical Music Concours“ of Chinese Music Council in Tokio. He took a scholarship of Naoaki-Fukui-Commemoration at Musashino Academia Musicae from 2007 until 2009 and participated in the concert tour to Hungary as a member of Musashino Academia Musicae Symphony Orchestra in September 2009. He finished his undergraduate course with the record “Excellence” in March 2011.

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Kudo came to Germany after the study. From October 2011, he studied at Hochschule für Musik Detmold (College for music Detmold) under Prof. Peter Prommel and Fumito Nunoya. He got a scholarship of Rotary Foundation from 2011 until 2012 besides.

 

In May 2012, he conducted his arrangement of Ravel's “Ma Mere l'Oye” for 9 percussion players with his ensemble at „NRW Tage 2012“, which was broadcasted on the German Radio WDR3. In August 2012, he won the 1st prize and special prize of Romanian Embassy in Japan at “8th Romanian International Music Competition in Tokyo.”

He completed his master's course successfully in September 2013.

 

He attended different master classes in Japan and Europe by Prof. Momoko Kamiya, Prof. Nancy Zeltsman, Makoto Nakura, Nanae Mimura, etc.

 

In March 2015, he released his first Marimba Solo CD „Moment“, which reflects his memories of Germany. In April 2016, he was awarded the GWK Furtherance-Prize in Münster as the first Percussionist under the prize winners.

 

He finished “Konzertexamen” (concert examination) with “Excellence” at Hochschule für Musik Detmold in July 2016. He taught young students marimba at HfM Detmold additionally. In November 2017, he made the Europe premiere of marimba concerto by Toshi Ichiyanagi with North West German Philharmonic as the soloist. He gives performances as a concert marimbist in Japan and Germany.