Saeko Kitagawa

Saeko Kitagawa took her first piano lessons at the age of five and had her first performance at the age of six. After successfully completing her bachelor’s degree, she performed extensively in Japan. She came to Europe to further develop her education and studied at the Bern University of the Arts and the Hanns Eisler Academy of Music in Berlin, where she completed her master’s degree with distinction in 2012. This was followed by another master’s degree at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen with Professor Henri Sigfridsson, which she successfully completed in 2016.

As a rehearsal pianist for Murray Perahia, Saeko played with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Academy in 2010.

In 2011 and 2012 she played successful solo and duo recitals in Berlin and Prague, and since then she has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in Germany, Japan and Taiwan, including at the Piano Marathon as part of the Ruhr Piano Festival 2015.

In 2017 and 2018 she was a lecturer at the Summer Masterclass in Taiwan. In 2019 and 2022 she completed a duo concert series at Villa Musica with great success.

Since 2016 she has been working as a répétiteur in various violin and cello classes at the Folkwang University of the Arts. Since 2021 she has been accompanying Prof. Maria Kliegel’s master classes.