Masato Kumoi

After studying at Kunitachi College of Music, Kumoi completed his graduate studies at Northwestern University. He won awards at the Japan Music Competition and the Geneva International Music Competition. In 1984, he made his recital debut at the Recital Hall of the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan. In 2005 and 2014 he participated in the Saito Kinen Festival in Matsumoto. In 2016, Kumoi was a visiting professor at Indiana University in conjunction with Professor Otis Murphy's sabbatical leave. In 2018, he was invited by the North American Saxophone Alliance to perform and give a master class. He performed Tomasi's Ballade with the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Masahiko Enkouji, in 2020. In the same year, he accompanied the Vienna Philharmonic, conducted by Gergiev, on a tour of Japan as a guest performer. In 2022 he performed Maslanka's Concerto for Saxophone Quartet and Wind Ensemble with the Tokyo Wind Symphony Band conducted by Keita Matsui. He performed the same piece with the Brass Orchestra of Kunitachi College of Music, conducted by Shiro Ide in 2023. Kumoi's CDs include Simple Songs (Record Geijutsu Magazine Special Selection), and Tone Studies (Record Geijutsu Magazine Special Selection, and nominee for the 56th Recording Academy Awards). Currently, he is a board member and Specially Appointed Professor at Kunitachi College of Music and a visiting professor at Souai University. Kumoi is also the director of the Masato Kumoi Saxophone Quartet.