Shunske Sato (Japanese: 佐藤 俊介, Hepburn: Satō Shunsuke, born 10 June 1984 in Tokyo) is a Japanese-born violinist. He was the concertmaster and artistic director of the Netherlands Bach Society from 2018 to 2023.[1]
Early life and education
Sato was born in Tokyo, Japan.[2] When he was two years old, on a family outing to a shrine, Sato was intrigued by sounds from a Suzuki violin studio, which led him to begin playing the violin.[3] He moved to the United States when he was three years old.[2] Sato attended Central High School[4] in Philadelphia.[3]
Writing for The New York Times, Allan Kozinn praised Sato in his New York recital debut in 2000 as having "developed an astonishing level of poise and musicality".[2]
In 2007, as a violist, Sato recorded viola solo sonatas written for Sato by Akira Nishimura for Camerata Tokyo.[11]
As a baroque violinist, he won the Second Prize and the Audience Award at the 17th International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition in Leipzig, Germany in July, 2010.[12][13] The Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan chose Sato to be a recipient of the New Face Prize in the Music Division at its 65th Arts Festival based on his Baroque recital which took place in Tokyo on 29 October 2010.[14]
In October 2011, Sato made his UK debut in Cambridge and London with the Academy of Ancient Music under the direction of Richard Egarr, performing Niccolò Paganini's Violin Concerto No. 2 with gut strings on a period instrument.[15]
In January 2013, Sato was appointed concertmaster of the Netherlands Bach Society Orchestra, succeeding Johannes Leertouwer,[16] as well as the Concerto Köln.[17] That same month, Sato also received a baroque violin made by Giovanni Grancino around 1695 on loan from the Jumpstart Jr. Foundation in Amsterdam, Netherlands.[18] In November, the Amsterdam School of the Arts announced their appointment of Sato as a guest teacher to the Early Music Department.[6] In December, Sato performed duo recitals of Mozart's sonatas at the Izumi Hall in Osaka[19] and the Toppan Hall in Tokyo, Japan[20] along with German pianist and harpsichordist Andreas Staier.
In September 2016, Sato made his Australian debut in Sydney and Melbourne with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra under direction of Paul Dyer, performing Niccolò Paganini's Violin Concerto No. 4, playing with gut strings. In the tour, Sato directed Felix Mendelssohn's String Symphony No. 3 and Edvard Grieg's Holberg Suite Op. 40. The live concert in Melbourne was recorded and broadcast by ABC Classic FM, and in February 2017 it was released in CD from ABC Classics.[22] In November 2016, Sato performed Antonio Vivaldi's The Four Seasons with Concerto Köln, which was recorded live in Kempen, Germany and was released by Berlin Classics.[23]
On 11 May 2017, Sato was appointed the 6th artistic director of the Netherlands Bach Society (Nederlandse Bachvereniging) beginning on 1 June 2018, succeeding Jos van Veldhoven.[24]
In April 2019, Sato received the 31st Music Award in Classical Music/Solo Performance by the Japan Music Pen Club.[25] From 28 September to 6 October 2019, as the 6th artistic director of the Netherlands Bach Society, Sato led a concert tour with the ensemble in Kyoto, Kanagawa, Hiroshima, and Tokyo Japan.[26]
On 1 January 2020, Mainichi Shimbun published the 61st Arts Awards recipients, including Sato, based on his leadership of The Netherlands Bach Society's Japan tour and his J. S. Bach unaccompanied Sonatas and Partitas recitals in Tokyo, Kyoto, Yokohama, Saitama, Hiroshima.[27][28] Later that month, the Record Geijutsu Journal awarded Sato the 57th Record Academy Award Silver Prize, the highest prize as a soloist, highly evaluating his unaccompanied solo works by J. S. Bach, released the year prior.[29] In March, the Agency for Cultural Affairs announced the 76th Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Awards in Arts, which recognized Sato as a recipient of the Newcomer Award in Arts.[30] On 11 December 2020, Sato officially debuted as a conductor at the AVRO TV live televised concert of Netherlands Bach Society at TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht, Netherlands.[31]
In January, February and June 2023, Sato, Clive Brown, and Concerto Köln participated in "Historical Performance Practice of the 19th Century – Romanticism".[33][34][35][36][37] In March, Sato conducted the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra for works in the Classical and Romantic Periods, and also performed Violin Concerto No. 8 by Louis Spohr.[38] On 30 May 2023, Sato resigned as the concertmaster, soloist, and artistic director of the Netherlands Bach Society after a farewell concert. He said that he desired to play other kinds of music but was hindered by his obligations to the Bach Society.[39]
Daily Yomiuri The Best New CD of the Month (May 2009) Mainichi Daily News The Critics' Choice (May 2009) CD Journal The Choice of the Month (May 2009) Record Geijutsu The best album of the month (June 2009) Early Music America Magazine (Volume 17, Number 4, Winter 2011): IN CONCLUSION Hats Off, Gentle People! Is the Revolution Over? (by Anthony Martin)
Joseph Haydn: Oxford, Violin Concerto No. 1, Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 2 Hidemi Suzuki & Orchestra Libera Classica, Shunske Sato
The Record Geijutsu: The Editor's Choice (October 2012) The Ongakuno Tomo: The Best New Cd of the Month (September 2012) Daily Yomiuri The Best New CD of the Month (August 2012) The Asahi Shimbun The Critics' Recommendation (August 2012) CD Journal: Editor's Choice (September 2012)
J. S. Bach: Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor BWV 1041
J. S. Bach: Violin Concerto No. 2 in E Major BWV 1042
J. S. Bach: Concerto for Two Violins in D minor BWV 1043
J. S. Bach: Violin Concerto No. 5 in G minor (arr. Forkel) BWV 1056R
The Record Geijutsu: The Editor's Choice The best album of the month (December 2018) Gramophone: Editor's Choice (January 2019)[43][44]
Étienne Méhul, Ludwig van Beethoven, Joseph Haydn: Méhul Opera "Stratonice" Overture, Beethoven Violin Concerto, Haydn Symphony No.94 Hob.I:94 "Surprise" Hidemi Suzuki & Orchestra Libera Classica, Shunske Sato
Released: 7 May 2019
Label: Arte Dell'arco Japan
Track list
Méhul: Opera "Stratonice" Overture
Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D Major op.61
Haydn: Symphony No.94 in G Major Hob.I-94 "Surprise"
The Record Geijutsu: The Editor's Choice (August 2019) The Asahi Shimbun The Critics' Recommendation (July 2019)[45]
Johann Sebastian Bach: J.S.Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin / Shunsuke Sato
Recorded: 1–4, 31, May, 2 June 2017
Released: 1 August 2019
Label: ACOUSTIC REVIVE
Track list
Sonata no.1 in G minor BWV 1001
Partita no.1 in B minor BWV 1002
Sonata no.2 in A minor BWV 1003
Partita no.2 in D minor BWV 1004
Sonata no.3 in C major BWV 1005
Partita no.3 in E major BWV 1006
The Record Geijutsu: The Editor's Choice The best album of the month (November 2019) The Ongakuno Tomo: The Best New Cd of the Month (November 2012) The Asahi Shimbun For Your Collection Classic The Best Disc (17 October 2019)[46] Daily Yomiuri The Best New CD of the Month (17 October 2019)[47] CD Journal: The Choice of the Month (27 August 2019)[48]
^平成22年度(第65回)文化庁芸術祭賞の決定について [2010 (65th) Agency for Cultural Affairs Art Festival Award Decisions] (PDF). Archived(PDF) from the original on 30 June 2011.
^平成18年度(第61回)文化庁芸術祭賞受賞一覧 (参加公演) [2006 (61st) Agency for Cultural Affairs Art Festival Award List (Participating Performances)] (PDF). Archived(PDF) from the original on 24 March 2012.