Izumi Pianoduo
The duo Kiyotaka Izumi - Polina Chernova was formed in 2004. Polina was born in Alma-Ata/USSR in 1981. She graduated from Serebryakov Institute of Arts, Volgograd/Russia in 2000. She has got the 3rd prize in the all-Russian competition "New names". She played with Volgograd academic symphonic orchestra. She took part in the festival "The dates of Slavic culture" in Czech Republic where she have got a diploma for the best interpretation of the work of J.S. Bach.
Kiyotaka Izumi was born in 1977 in Tokyo, Japan. He graduated from "The Music High School Attached to the Faculty of Music, Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music", after which he studied with Professor Levente Kende and Heidi Hendrickx at the "Royal Flemish Conservatory of Antwerp", and Professor Boyan Vodenitcharov at the "Royal Conservatory of Brussels". He performed at concerts such as the "International Chopin Festival" in Gent and the "Royal Gala Concert" for the Prince and Princess of Belgium. He played with orchestras such as the "National Orchestra of Belgium", "Hermes Ensemble", "Concert festival Orchestre", and the "Orchestra of the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp". He has won several prizes at international competitions, including the "Benelux Young Virtuoso" competition(1998), the "International EPTA Competition for piano-duo", winning also the "SABAM-Prize"(1999), the "International Emmanuel Durlet competition", winning also a special prize for "Best interpretation of a work by Emmanuel Durlet"(2002), the International Piano Competition Vila de Capdepera", Spain, special prize for "Best interpretation of music by a Balearic Island Composer" (2005). He has performed in master classes for Murray Perahia, Jan Wijn, Jozef De Beenhouwer, Hans Leygraf, and he studied privately with Conrad Hansen in Hamburg, Germany. Kiyotaka Izumi has performed many concerts in Belgium, Netherlands, and Japan. In 2004 he recorded a CD with works of F. Chopin and E. Durlet.
In January 2005 the duo became the 3rd laureate of the "International Maria Yudina competition" in Sint-Petersburg/Russia. The duo gives concerts in Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg and Japan.
In 2008 this duo is invited to perform during "The world conference" of ISME (International Society for Music Education) in Bologna, Italy.
Flanders Arts Institute
Expertise centre for performing arts, music and visual arts.