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ABOUT

 Cellist Akito Goto has won numerous prizes and awards, including the First Prize in the Japan Player's Contest. Previously he was selected to participate in the 2nd Gaspar Cassado International Cello Competition and the 9th Rostropovich Competition, where he was the youngest participant. He has appeared as soloist with ensembles such as the London Mozart Players, Windsor and Maidenhead Symphony Orchestra and Orpington Symphony Orchestra. He has given solo and chamber performances in major concert halls, such as Wigmore Hall, St Martin’s in the Field, Hamarikyu Asahi Hall, Salon Collina, Musikasa in Tokyo, Joy Concert, Clarendon Muse and Hakuju Hall. He has also appeared as an orchestral player with London Symphony orchestra in Barbican under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle and, the Royal Festival Hall, St Alban's Abbey and the Sage Gateshead. Most recently he was appointed a Principal Cellist in Joensuu City Orchestra in Finland, started in January 2023.

 Born in Tokyo, Akito Goto started playing the cello at the age of 5; At thirteen he won a scholarship from UK’s School Bursary Fund to study with Pal Banda at the Purcell School of Music in London. He completed his studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2019 where he studied with Louise Hopkins and received 1st class distinction in both Bachelor and Master of music. His regular Chamber music coaches include Caroline Palmer, Carole Presland, Adrian Brendel and Ursula Smith. During his studies, he had received masterclasses by Natalia Gutman, Miklos Perenyi, David Waterman, Jean-guihen Queyras, Colin Carr, Ralph Kirshbaum, Bruno Delepelaire, David Watkin, Ralf Gothoni, The Gould Piano Trio, The Takacs Quartet and The Endellion Quartet.

 He is also a passionate chamber musician and currently a member of the Mitsu Trio and has a duo partnership with Dudley International Piano Competition winner, Tyler Hay. In previous years he has collaborated with world-renowned musicians, such as Lawrence Power, Laura Samuel, Máté Szüc, and Tom Poster. 

 In 2022 he has founded a polymorphous music collective ‘Sound Salon’ . The collective workshops and performs compositions by living composers and generate communication with music from past to present, in order to query, celebrate and transform the environment in which classically-informed chamber music is experienced. This project has led him to develop close artistic partnership with several composers, such as Decca publishing composer, Benjamin Rimmer and Phillip Dutton. Akito has recently recorded for Benjamin’s string arrangements for the Royal Opera House’s production of ‘UniVerse: A Dark Crystal Odyssey’, choreographed by Wayne McGregor. 

Akito plays on Arthur and John Betts Cello on generous loan from a private individual.  

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