Yuri Hiramitsu

Marimba artist/Educator

Born in Gifu, Japan, Yuri Hiramitsu began her first piano lessons at the age of four and marimba lessons at thirteen. She pursued her music studies at Aichi University of the Arts (Japan) in Momoko Kamiya’s class. Later, she studied at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Paris (CRR de Paris) in Eric Sammut’s class and, in 2018, obtained the diploma of the advanced marimba cycle at CRR de Paris.

In 2015, Yuri gave her first recital in Kyoto, Japan, and received a scholarship from the Aoyama Music Foundation, which supported her for two years during her university studies in Japan. In June 2016, she performed “The Carnival of the Animals” by Camille Saint-Saëns, at the invitation of pianists Karin Nagano, Mari Kodama, and Momo Kodama, under the direction of her father, the renowned conductor Kent Nagano, in Paris. She gave solo marimba recitals in 2016 at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Caen, in 2018 in Bordeaux, and in 2019, 2021, and 2023 in Gifu, Japan. In July 2024, Yuri was invited to play the marimba at the Cap Ferret Music Festival.

Over the years, Yuri Hiramitsu has won several major prizes in international competitions. In 2022, she won the 2nd prize unanimously at the France Musique Competition and reached the semi-finals at the World Marimba Competition in Stuttgart. In 2018, she received the 2nd prize at the Mallet Lab Marimba Competition and was invited to the grand percussion festival PASIC in the United States. She also won the 2nd prize at the Pescara International Marimba Competition in Italy, after having won the 3rd prize in 2016. In 2014, she achieved 5th place at the Tokyo Wind and Percussion Instruments Competition, Japan, among 135 candidates. In 2013, she won the 1st prize at the Kobe International Music Competition.

Today, Yuri teaches marimba, percussion, and piano in conservatories in France, and she performs in concerts in France and Japan. In 2023, she obtained the Diplôme d’État (DE) for percussion teaching. Her dedication to her craft and her passion for music continue to inspire her students and audiences around the world.