Bolotny-Sakuma Duo
About
Duo Bolotny-Sakuma embodies a seamless partnership between violinist Sergiy Bolotny and pianist Keiko Sakuma, captivating audiences with their extraordinary depth of expression and technical brilliance. Their extensive repertoire encompasses centuries of chamber music, focusing on passionate interpretations of classical and romantic masterpieces by like Beethoven and Schumann, as well as the evocative works of late-romantic and 20th-century creators such as Respighi. Renowned for their engaging curation and vibrant performances, this duo shines in both intimate recital spaces and major chamber music series, effortlessly bridging tradition with a contemporary musical language.
Keiko Sakuma
She started playing the piano at the age of four and studied under Mr. Tatsuko Omura at both the Junior High School and Music High School associated with Kunitachi College of Music. In 1997, she enrolled at Kunitachi College of Music later pursued her studies at Mozarteum University Salzburg under Prof. Brian Lamport and Prof. Klaus Kaufmann, earning her Master’s degree in Piano Solo Performance in 2008. Additionally, from 2003, attended the Piano Chamber Music Department at the University of Music and Arts Vienna under Prof. Avedis Kouyoumdjian, completing her Master’s degree in2009. In 2004, she secured 1st prize in the Lied Duo division of the Ensemble Competition, along with the Misato Osano Award. In 2015, she performed as a soloist North Netherlands Radio. To this day, she has performed widely as a soloist and chamber musician across Austria, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Bulgaria, and the United States, and has also accompanied international music masterclasses in Austria and Germany, as well as the North Netherlands Orchestra.
Sergiy Bolotny
Born in Ukraine, he began his violin journey at the age of 7. He studied under Mr. Yuri Golda at the Lviv Conservatory and furthered his education under Mr. Yaroslav Rifnyak and Mr. Bogodar Kotorovych at the Kyiv National Music Academy. His studies continued at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna with Prof. Michael Frischenschlager, while also focusing on chamber music with Prof. Johannes Meissl and Prof. Avedis Kouyoumdjian. He has garnered awards at numerous international competitions, 1st prize at the 1993 Uzbekistan International Competition, special prize at the 1996 Leo Weiner International Competition in Hungary, and semiist recognition at the Paganini International Competition in Italy. Notably, he 2nd prize at the 2001 Leo Janáček International Competition in the Czech Republic and a special prize at the Osaka International Chamber Competition. Since 2004, has performed with esteemed organizations such as the Vienna Volksoper the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Vienna State Opera. Since 2010, he has held the position of Assistant Principal Second Violin (Stellvertretender 2. Konzertmeister) with the North Netherlands Symphony Orchestra (Noord Nederlands Orkest). In recent years, he has also been active as composer. His original composition, Little Dutch Rhapsody.3 Capriccio Amsterdam, received accolades at both the World Classical Music Awards and the Max Bruch International Music Competition in2024. He is currently dedicated to composing and recording his innovative project, 24 Ukrainian Caprices for solo violin, alongside a digital recording of Paganini 24 Caprices, which is available worldwide on major music streaming platforms such as Spotify.
