The Nexus Hall has been honoring the legacy of Gabriel Chanel since 2004 when the Chanel Ginza Building was opened in Toykyo, Japan. A lover and support of the arts, Chanel’s spirit inspired the Chanel Pygmalion Days that offers young artists the opportunity to perform in the beautiful Nexus Hall. Each Year, five talented young artists from around the world are selected to hold solo concerts in the “Chanel Pygmalion Days” concert series.

ICM’s own Kyoshiro Hirama was selected as a 2020 Pygmalion Days artist and has completed his first concert. You can view the performance HERE through October 22, (Midnight Japan). Enjoy an in-depth interview with Hirama published by the Pygmalion Days festival HERE.

Kyoshiro Hirama was born in 1998, in Osaka, a part of Japan and began his piano studies at the age of four. Hirama garnered attention when he received the 5th prize of the 7th Sendai International Music Competition in Piano Section in 2019. He also won three grades of PTNA piano competition, and received the 2nd prize and the Public Award at Student Music Competition of Japan, Matsukata Music Encouragement Award (the 2nd prize) and many other competition’s prizes. He participated in piano academies actively and they include the Piano Academy Eppan, the Hamamatsu International Piano Academy and the Coimbra World Piano Meeting, etc.

Hirama performed extensively at home and abroad, including U.S., Brazil, Uzbekistan and Japan, and he was selected as a Chanel Pygmalion Days 2020 participating artist. He collaborated with Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra, Sao Paulo Youth Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan and so on. His numerous awards and scholarships include Yamaha Music Scholarships in 2017, 2018, and 2019, Benny and Edith Lee Music Scholarship in 2019-2020, Osaka Governor Awards and the Neyagawa-city Meritorious Service Awards. He completed his bachelor’s degree in 2020 at the International Center for Music at Park University in Parkville, Missouri. Currently, he is a graduate student studying piano performance at Park University with Stanislav Ioudenitch, the winner of the 11th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.