Ms. Kei Itoh is the first Japanese to win first prize at the 1983 Munich International Piano Competition.

This pianist began studies on the piano from childhood under the tutelage of Ms. Kazuo Ariga. Graduating in 1977 from Tokyo's re-known Toho Gakuen High School, Ms. Itoh continued studies in Europe at Salzburg's Mozarteum Conservatory and under Hans Leygraf at the Hannover Conservatory.

Her Munich debut with the Bayerische Staatsoper Orchestra under the baton of Wolfgang Sawallisch led to the subsequent engagements in Europe with the Frankfurter Rundfunk Orchestra, Südwestfunk Symphony Orchestra, Berliner Rundfunk Symphony Orchestra and Warsaw Philharmonic. Ms. Itoh has become an increasingly popular soloist with many major Japanese orchestras as well, maintaining a full schedule of activities in both Europe and Japan.

In 1993, Ms. Itoh was awarded the 19th Annual award of the Japan Chopin Association, and in 1994 she received the Cultural Arts Support Award of the City of Yokohama. Since the spring of 1996, Ms. Itoh has started her role as a NHK radio show hostess with actor Toru Watanabe in which she gains further recognition for introducing classical music in a relaxed manner. She is active with her solo recitals and chamber music concerts as well and continues to make recording throughout the seasons.

In recordings, Ms. Itoh has dedicated much of her life work to Shumann, and has so far announced nine series of "Shumanniana." Her other recordings for Fontec include "Brahms: Piano Concerto," "Chopin: étude," "Piano Tsu-shin I," and "Poulenc: Piano Piece Collection."

Apart from her upcoming recitals this season, Ms. Itoh is scheduled to appear in concerts with the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Kyushu Symphony Orchestra, in Gunma Symphony Orchestra's subscription concerts, the Beethoven Violin Sonata Collection Concert and recording (with violinist Ninan Tokunaga), and at various performances in Rome, Cairo, an Paris. In addition, from March of 1999, Ms. Itoh will engage in annual Schumann concerts that will be held consecutively for eight years.