Lessons&Faculty

Ryo Oshima graduated from Toho Gakuen School of Music and its graduate school. He won first place in the 11th Concours de Maronie for Strings(in Japan) and the 7th Tokyo Music Competition for Strings, and received a diploma at the 42nd International Instrumental Competition in Markneukirchen.

As a soloist, he has performed with the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, the Kyushu Symphony Orchestra, and the Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra. Since his debut recital at Tokyo Bunka Kaikan in 2012, he has regularly held recitals to much acclaim. He has also appeared at events such as Viola Space, the Tokyo Spring Music Festival, the Ravenna Festival, the Miyazaki International Music Festival, the Kiso Music Festival, with the Mito Chamber Orchestra, and the Saito Kinen Orchestra, as well as on NHK-FM’s “Recital Nova.”

In chamber music, he is actively performing with artists such as Sadao Harada, Myung-Wha Chung, Yuzuko Horigome, and Ikuyo Nakamichi.

Oshima also dedicates himself to teaching, serving as an assistant to Nobuko Imai at the Yuragi-no-Sato Viola Masterclass and teaching at various seminars across Japan.

He studied under Nobuo Okada and received guidance from Mstislav Rostropovich and Robert Mann. Currently, he is the principal violist of the Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra.

Holds a Master’s degree from the Tokyo University of the Arts. Graduated from the day program and soloist program at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg in Germany with highest marks, obtaining certification as a national performer.
Has studied with Yasuko Sugimoto, Yuko Watanabe, Hitoshi Kobayashi, Kei Ito, and Gilead Mishory.

Took first place at the 4th Rosenstock International Piano Competition, first place at the 2nd Arthur Leptien International Piano Competition, and numerous other accolades.

Performed at the Budapest Spring Festival, Mozart Music Festival, and, in Japan, at the Karuizawa Arts Festival, La Folle Journée au Japon, the Ishikawa Music Academy, ViolaSpace, and more. Has also appeared on Hungarian radio, NHK-BS Classic Club, and NHK-FM Recital Nova, among others. Performs with the Nippon Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, and others. Recorded performances of work by Bach and Toru Takemitsu with SWR (Southwest German Radio Symphony Orcestra).

Is also actively involved in chamber music and performs alongside Nobuko Imai and other noted performers.

Has garnered acclaim for work with viola ensembles, such as at Nobuko Imai’s Yuragi no Sato Viola Master Class, Wolfram Christ’s academy (Germany), all viola classes at The Great Mountain Music Festival (South Korea), and as the official pianist for the 4th Tokyo International Viola Competition.

Following a position as a part-time lecturer at the Tokyo University of the Arts, now acts a part-time lecturer at the Senzoku Gakuen College of Music, training the next generation of musicians.

Shuko Ito studied piano performance at Ueno Gakuen University Faculty of Music Department of Music Soloist Course, Music Department of Music Postgraduate Diploma Course in Music Instrument Music Studies in Japan. Her principal teachers include Yukio Yokoyama, Rena Miyamoto and Teruko Tanaka. She also studied chamber music under Sadao Harada and Tatsuya Shimono.

Subsequently, she received two masters degrees in Concert Instrument Option musique de chambre and d’accompagnement from Haute école de musique de Genève in Switzerland, studying with Jean-Jacques Balet and Gui-Michel Caillat.

After her return to Japan in 2018, Shuko served as accompanist pianist at “The Viola Academy” sponsored by the Ono Culture Foundation and “Tamba Sasayama Viola Master Class 2021”. In Geneva, upon recommendation from faculty, she served as studio pianist for the class of Patrick Genet (violin) and Matthias Buchholz (viola).

She was invited to perform at the Graduation Concert held at the Imperial Household Agency, and the Annual Concert by “Rookie” Musicians series in both Tokyo and Aichi.

In 2012, Shuko participated in the Japanisches Sommerseminar in der Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien, working with Professor Michael Krist. Since 2019, she has participated in “A Seminar on Chamber Music for Pianists” sponsored by the Ono Culture Foundation.

Currently, to further refine her artistry as a chamber musician, Shuko works closely with Nobuko Imai,Fuyuka Kusa, and Ryo Oshima.

Graduate of Toho Gakuen University. Began playing piano at age five under Yukari Hagiwara, then studied under Naoko Shibanuma at age seven. After enrolling in the Toho Gakuen Music High School (Co-ed), studied under Nobutatsu Kawashima.

Placed third at the seventh and eighth Toho Gakuen Piano Competition. Performed at the Toho Gakuen Music High School Graduation Recital, Toho University Graduation Recital, Japan Piano Technicians Association Newcomer Concert, and more.

Placed 3rd (highest rank) in the chamber music division at the sixteenth All Japan Art Association Competition. Served as the official accompanist at the 2021 and 2022 Ono Culture Foundation’s Viola Juku.

Currently active as a performer while serving as a part-time piano teacher at the Toho Gakuen University Children’s Music School.

Upon graduating from the Osaka College of Music (Voice), Hitomi Ono studied Voice, Languages, and the Alexander Technique in Europe and the USA for 11 years. In 1993, she returned to Japan and became the first Japanese teacher to teach the Alexander Technique. For this, she was recognized by the Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique (STAT, England).
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Since then, she has been teaching the Alexander Technique primarily to musicians in Japan and abroad.

From 1997 to 2014, she taught the Alexander Technique as a lecturer at the Soai University (Music Department) in Osaka.

From 2009 to 2010, with the recommendation of Nobuko Imai, she conducted lessons and workshops at the Geneva Conservatory of Music and the Verbier Festival in Switzerland.

In 2012–2017, six teachers were trained through her Alexander Technique Teacher Training Class, which is the first Japanese training class recognized by the STAT.

Since 1999, as the first Andover Educator, Hitomi Ono has been conducting a course named “What Every Musician Needs to Know About the Body” and teaching “Body Mapping” to Musicians.

In 2017, she was the Representative Director of Andover Educators Japan, and was in charge of teacher training.