Saori Haji

Saori graduated at the top of her class from the Detmold University of Music in Germany.

She was then discovered by the legendary Brazilian pianist Professor Roberto Szidon and studied with him at the Robert Schumann University of Music in Düsseldorf, where she graduated with a National Performer Certificate.

Saori won a special prize at the 3rd Concorso MusicArte organized by the Italian Society of Japan. Saori later won a prize at the American protege internet international competition 2012, and made her debut at Carnegie Hall in 2012. Saori won the Avenir Prize at the 13th Osaka International Music Competition. She won the Grand Prize at the 21st IBLA GRAND PRIZE and the Ravel Special Prize.

Saori passed the audition organized by the Chopin Society of Japan and gave a solo recital sponsored by Kawai and the Polish Embassy. She was invited to be a jury member of the 2017 Thailand International Chopin Piano Competition in Bangkok, where she also gave piano recitals and master classes.

In 2018, Saori performed the world premiere of the Arpeggio Etude Op. 66-4 written for Saori by her close friend Nimrod Borenstein. Borenstein has released a CD with conductor Viladimir Ashkenazy.

Saori has appeared at the Evmelia International Music Festival in Greece, the Alba Music Festival in Italy, and the Argerich Festival in Beppu. She is active as a soloist, concerto soloist, chamber musician, accompanist, and radio and TV broadcaster. She is also a registered artist of the Illuminato Philharmonic Orchestra, of which world-renowned female conductor Tomomi Nishimoto is the artistic director. She is a lecturer at the Osaka College of Music.