Saki Aoki was born in Tokyo and began her piano studies at the age of
six. She first studied organ under Keiko Utsumi, and then became a pupil of
Masaaki Suzuki at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music (Tokyo Geidai)
where she obtained both her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees with top
honors.
While still a graduate student, she decided to broaden and diversify her
studies in France. For two years she studied in the Advanced Studies Program
under Eric Lebrun at the St. Maur Conservatory where she obtained the André Monsaingeon Prize and the J.S. Bach Prize for the best interpretation of a J.S. Bach work, as well as the 1st Prize
in Organ with top honors in 2006.
She further enriched her studies as a pupil of Erwan Le Prado at the
Conservatoire National de Région in Caen where she obtained the
Advanced Studies Diploma with top honors. During her studies she was able
to distinguish herself in several international competitions, notably by
winning the Diplôme d’Honneur of the International Organ Competition in Bruges, 1st Prize in the Grenada
International Competition, 1st Prize in the 2007 Jean Louis Florentz Competition
in Angers, 2nd Prize in the 2007 Nürnberg International Competition, and the First Prize in interpretation, the Audience Award and the Gaston Litaize Special Prize in the 2008 Grand Prix de Chartres. She is also the recipient of a two-year
scholarship that is awarded to promote young artists from the Japanese
Agency for Cultural Affairs.
She has given numerous recitals in Japan, France, Germany, UK, Italy,
Hungary, Spain and Canada, and has upcoming recitals in Chartres Cathedral, La
Madeleine, Notre-Dame de Paris, Saint-Sulpice, the Cathedral of Seville, the
Palace of Arts in Budapest, Philharmonie Essen, Sumida Triphony Hall, Suntory
Hall in Tokyo, among others. She has recently recorded a CD of French 20th century music in Chartres Cathedral. In addition to her extensive concert
career, she is currently a teacher at the Conservatoire de Caen in Normandy,
and serves as organist at the Saint Pierre in Caen.