YUSHIN HIRAI ⎥Classicalia 2022/23 Candidate

At two years old, Yushin began playing the piano, and by age three, he had already taken up the cello. Yushin's love for the cello grew rapidly, and he made his solo recital debut at eight years old. At just nine years old, Yushin performed the Saint-Saens Cello Concerto with a professional orchestra, and at ten, he played the Dvořák Cello Concerto, also with a professional orchestra. Yushin has won over ten first prizes in international music and concerto competitions in Japan and the U.S., including the Kobe International Music Competition and the Concerto Soloist Audition. Yushin has been featured multiple times in television, radio, and newspapers, and has performed at renowned concert halls such as Carnegie Hall in New York, Minatomirai Grand Hall in Yokohama, and Hamarikyu Asahi Hall in Tokyo. Currently, Yushin is a scholarship student at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Canada, where he skipped a grade and enrolled in senior courses. In recent years, Yushin has expanded his repertoire by actively engaging in performing contemporary music.