Takaoki Sugitani

First Violins

Takaoki Sugitani was born in Kobe City, Japan, in 1939. At the age of 10 he began his violin studies and at 15 was a winner in the competition sponsored by NHK and Mainichi newspaper.

In 1962 Mr. Sugitani graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music where he studied with Efrem Zimbalist and Toshiya Eto. He then served as Concertmaster of the Tokyo Symphony under Kazuyoshi Akiyama and at the same time taught at the Toho Institute of Music. He appeared many times in the Marlboro Festival between 1959 and 1966, and at the Bay Chamber Festival in Camden, Maine, between 1960 and 1985.

Mr. Sugitani was also featured in recital in Tokyo in 1990, and in 1991 performed two concerts as soloist with the Shanghai Ballet Orchestra.

Takaoki Sugitani taught violin at the St. Louis Conservatory of Music from 1983 to 1990.