Welcome to Promusica Baroque Academy!!
After auditions lasting about two months from February, we welcome the following nine singers as new members🎉
We look forward to your work not only in our presented concerts but across many early-music scenes✨
#MakotoSuzuki #KentaroShimizu #TomokaYoshida #ShunsukeItaya #SeiichiKamimura #YukiOgawa #AyakoIwahara #HinataHasegawa #MasatoNitta
Profile / Profile
吉田 朋加 / Tomoka Yoshida
Soprano
Born in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture. Graduated from the piano major of the music course, arts department, Iwate Prefectural Kozukata High School. After studying piano in the music arts course of the Faculty of Education, Art and Science at Yamagata University, graduated from the Department of Vocal Music, Faculty of Music, Tokyo University of the Arts. Currently a second-year master’s student in vocal music at Tokyo University of the Arts Graduate School. Member of the Bach Cantata Club at Tokyo University of the Arts; attended public seminars by Michio Kobayashi. Has appeared as soprano soloist in sacred works including J.S. Bach’s 《Christmas Oratorio》 and church cantatas, W.A. Mozart’s 《Requiem》, and L.v. Beethoven’s 《Mass in C major》. Currently studies voice with Reiko Muramatsu, Junko Kanno, and Ryo Sakurada, and piano with Mitsue Asanuma, Keiko Mifune, Yuriko Ueki, Kaoru Miwa, and Mitsutaka Shiraishi.
岩原綾子 / Ayako Iwahara
Soprano
Born in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture. Enrolled in the vocal major of the Faculty of Music at Elisabeth University of Music as a special scholarship student with full tuition waiver, graduating at the top of her class with the Cecilia Prize. After graduation, advanced by skipping a year into the second year of the master’s program in vocal music at the same graduate school as a “five-year program student,” completing it as valedictorian and receiving the Cecilia Prize for outstanding specialized research. Completed Baroque voice in the Early Music research field at Tokyo University of the Arts Graduate School. In 2023 studied with Prof. Sona Ghazarian at the Wiener Musikseminar, earning a Diplom with the Audience Award at the professor’s recommended concert. Has appeared as soloist in Handel’s “Messiah,” Fauré’s “Requiem,” Bach cantatas, and more, performing works from Gregorian chant to premieres by contemporary composers. Studies voice with Takako Matsumoto, Miwa Umekawa, and Yumiko Hayashi, and Baroque voice with Yukari Nonoshita.
鈴木麻琴 / Makoto Suzuki
Soprano
Born in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture. Graduated from the vocal major, Faculty of Music, Kyoto City University of Arts. Second prize, 6th Toyonaka Music Competition. Recipient of the 2022 Heiwado Foundation Arts Encouragement Award (music). Opera and operetta roles include Amahl in ≪Amahl and the Night Visitors≫, Despina in ≪Così fan tutte≫, Musetta in ≪La bohème≫, Lolo in ≪The Merry Widow≫, and Adele in ≪Die Fledermaus≫. Has studied with Yumiko Otani, Tadamichi Orie, Tsuyako Mitsui, and Toshiharu Nakajima. Member of the Japan Schubert Society. Member of the vocal ensemble “Vox-lux.”
上村誠一 / Seiichi Kamimura
Counter tenor
Born in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture. Completed undergraduate and graduate studies at Kunitachi College of Music. First prize as a countertenor—the first in the competition’s history—in the university division of the vocal category at the 75th Japan National Student Music Competition. First prize and Audience Award, 7th Kawasaki New Vocalist Competition. Second prize (highest ever for a countertenor) and Hatanaka Ryosuke Award, vocal division, 35th Sogakudo Japanese Art Song Competition. Released “Watashi o Tabunanai de” on Nippon Columbia Opus One. Cooperating artist with Nippon Columbia Columbia Classics. Member of Salicus Kammerchor and Promusica Baroque Academy. First countertenor resident member in the history of the Tokyo Philharmonic Chorus.
新田壮人 / Masato Nitta
Counter tenor
Completed graduate studies at Kunitachi College of Music. Studied Baroque voice at the Civica Scuola di Musica Claudio Abbado in Milan and at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana. Second prize, 28th Riccardo Zandonai International Opera Competition. Appeared as soloist at the Milan Music Festival with Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano La Verdi. Gave a well-received solo recital at Teatro Antonio Belloni. Appeared as Eustazio in Yoshimichi Hamada’s Suntory Music Award commemorative imperial-audience performance of the opera “Rinaldo.” Other appearances include Antonello’s “Messiah,” Ex Novo’s “Rappresentatione di Anima et di Corpo,” and as alto soloist at France’s Festival de musique de Frênes, with extensive Baroque and contemporary stage experience in Japan and Europe.
板谷俊祐 / Shunsuke Itaya
Tenor
Born in Yoichi, Hokkaido. Graduated from the Department of Vocal Music, Faculty of Music, Tokyo University of the Arts. Has studied voice with Kanichi Suzuki, Katsuhiko Nakajima, and Ryo Sakurada. Based in Hokkaido and Tokyo, active mainly in sacred music and choral instruction. Has appeared as soloist in Bach’s 《Magnificat》, 《Christmas Oratorio》, and 《Mass in B minor》, Handel’s 《Messiah》, Hasse’s 《Requiem in C major》, Haydn’s 《The Creation》, Mendelssohn’s 《Symphony No. 2 “Lobgesang”》, and more. Voice trainer for Bachchor Yokohama, the Messiah Festival Choir, and the Machida Philharmonic Chorus.
清水健太郎 / Kentaro Shimizu
Bass
Born in Tochigi Prefecture. Graduated from the music major of the Faculty of Education, Gunma University, and completed the music education specialization at the same graduate school. Has appeared as soloist in J.S. Bach works including the 《Mass in B minor》, 《St. Matthew Passion》, 《St. John Passion》, 《Christmas Oratorio》, and cantatas, as well as Mozart’s 《Requiem》, Fauré’s 《Requiem》, Distler’s 《Chorale Passion》, Handel’s 《Messiah》, Charpentier’s 《Te Deum》 and 《Messe de minuit》, Brahms’s 《A German Requiem》, and more. Recipient of the Nikko Mayor’s Award at the Nikko International Vocal Competition. Cast in the premiere of Makiko Kinoshita’s opera 《Onmyoji》(2025).
小河佑樹 / Yuki Ogawa
Bass
Graduated from the Department of Vocal Music, Faculty of Music, Tokyo University of the Arts. Completed the master’s program in Baroque voice in the Early Music research field of the instrumental music major at the same graduate school. Currently enrolled in the doctoral program in Baroque voice in the Early Music research area of the music major at the same graduate school. Studies voice with Yumiko Yamaguchi and Eijiro Kai, and Baroque voice with Yukari Nonoshita. Finalist, vocal division, 34th International Early Music Competition 〈Yamanashi〉. Member of the Bach Cantata Club at Tokyo University of the Arts from his first year; served as performance chair (conductor) for four years from March 2020. Has appeared as soloist in Bach cantatas and Passions, Handel’s 《Messiah》, Haydn’s 《The Creation》, Beethoven’s 《Missa solemnis》, Fauré’s 《Requiem》, and more.
長谷川陽向 / Hinata Hasegawa
Bass
Graduated from the vocal major at Tokyo College of Music and completed the master’s program in vocal music at the same graduate school. Received a tuition scholarship while enrolled. Appeared in the 2021 Tokyo College of Music graduation concert and in numerous school-presented concerts including the 『Tokyo College of Music 115th Anniversary Special Concert』 and 『Spanish Music from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance — Exploring with Song, Vihuela, and Lute!』. Attended a German Lied course with Mitsuko Shirai and Markus Hadulla at the Schumann Festival in Zwickau, Germany. Has sung solos in concerts including L. v. Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, several J. S. Bach cantatas, and Lutheran Masses, and is also active in opera (Figaro and Bartolo in 『Le nozze di Figaro』, Morales in 『Carmen』) and art song.
