"Most Sensitive Touch on the Piano”, “Rigueur, Passion and Discipline of an Old Samurai” music critics raved about his solo performance in Europe. International concert pianist Nariaki Sugiura continually gives recitals and concerto performances in U.S., Europe and Asia. His performance was featured at the prestigious concert halls including Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Shenzhen Concert Hall and Central Music Conservatory Concert Hall (China), Ferenc Liszt Music Academy Recital Hall (Hungary), Daejeon Arts and Cultural Center Hall (South Korea), Manoel Theater (Malta), Kioi Hall (Japan), Museo de Arte (Puerto Rico). As a collaborator, his performance with cellist Emilio Colón has won great acclaims on their recital tours in Europe, Asia and US. In their European concert tour, the music critics wrote “A Formidable Performing Duo”. He has also performed with top-class musicians including Laszlo Varga (NY Philharmonic Principal Cellist), Csaba Onczay (Liszt Academy cello professor), Federico Agostini (I Musici principal violin), Anastasia Khitruk, Stephanie Sant’Ambrogio (San Antonio Symphony concert master), Fabio Sampó (RAI National Symphony of Torino, Italy Principal Trombone), and Thomas Robertello (National Symphony Orchestra Principal Flute). Devoted in teaching, Nariaki has emerged to be one of the leading piano pedagogues of his generation. He has given piano classes at numerous institutions such as Civico Instituto Musicale “V. Baravalle” (Italy), Xinghai Conservatory of Music (China), Ewha Womans University and Sunhwa Arts High School, (South Korea), Universitas Pelita Harapan (Indonesia), St. Paul’s College (Hong Kong), University of Denver, and many other music institutions in Asia, Europe and the US. Currently he is assistant professor / piano area coordinator at University of North Dakota, meantime holding a visiting faculty positions at Guangdon University of Foreign Study, Shenzhen Yichao Music Educating Center, and Jiangyin Royal Piano Art in China. Previously, he has taught at DePauw University, Indiana University and Lamont Summer Pre-College Music Academy in Denver. While he was at Indiana University, he worked for legendary cellist/pedagogue Janos Starker as a staff accompanist. He has been a adjudicator for several international piano competitions in the US and Asia. Nariaki is an artist featured on eight CD recordings, including Klavier Records, Eroica Classical Recordings, T. K. Music Productions. His performances have been featured on TV and radio broadcast nationally and internationally. Active as an editor, his editions of chamber music scores are published by Ludwig Masters Music Publications. A native of Japan, Nariaki began piano study with his mother at age five. Under the tutelage of Michel Block and Shigeo Neriki, he received Masters and Doctor of Music in Piano Performance from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Other prominent teachers include Alicia de Larrocha, Friedrich Schurr, and Leonard Hokanson. Numerous national and international competitions have awarded Nariaki prizes, including the 1999 and 2000 Indianapolis Matinee Musicale Competition Top Prizes. He was laureate of the 1993 National Music Competition in Tokyo and of the Annual Competition of Music from Spain and Latin America in 1999.