(Piano, Japan)

Kei Saotomé was born in a family of artists in Tokyo. At the age of 8, she was introduced to Olivier Messiaen and his wife Yvonne Loriod, and moved to Paris on their recommendation. While under the tutelage of the French pianist, she began performing in public and participated in several television programs in France and Japan. At the age of 18, as a student of Michel Béroff, she received First Prize in piano and chamber music at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris and went on to study in Germany, Russia and Switzerland. Her professors were Christine Paraschos, Igor Lazko, Vitaly Margulis, Gyorgy Sebok, and Lev Naumov. In 1996, Kei Saotomé moved to Florence, Italy, where she completed her training with Clive Britton, Piero Rattalino, Vincenzo Balzani, Bruno Canino and Pier Narciso Masi. Laureate of several international competitions (Clara Schumann in Düsseldorf, Robert Schumann in Zwickau), Kei Saotomé has performed in numerous European countries, including France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, in Russia and Armenia, U.A.E playing in concert halls such as Salle Gaveau, Théâtre des Champs Elysées in Paris, La Sala Verdi in Milan, Teatro Comunale in Florence, St. Petersburg Philharmonie Hall, Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, Tokyo Bunka Kaikan, Yamaha Hall and Casals Hall in Tokyo. She has given recitals and chamber music concerts in Japan and the United States, and has performed with multiple orchestras such as the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestre Symphonique Français, the Orchestra della città di Ravenna, the Orchestra Sanmmartini di Milano, the Orchestra da camera di Belluno, The National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia, the Tochigi Symphony Orchestra, and the Philharmonisches Orchester Plauen-Zwickau among others.
Kei Saotomé has been invited to be on the juries of prestigious national and international piano and chamber music competitions and to give piano masterclasses in France, Italy, USA and Japan. She has recorded works by Chopin and Brahms for the Italian CD label, Phoenix Classics. Kei Saotomé is currently Professor of piano at the Conservatoire de Viroflay – Versailles Grand Parc.