Trio Kagura is a young piano trio based in Manchester, UK. The name, Kagura, is taken from the Japanese word for ritual music and dance that is performed to bring joy and peace to the community.

Japanese-born pianist KANAKO MIZUNO has achieved some remarkable feats in her young career.
Successful as both soloist and accompanist, UK-based Mizuno has received a Global Talent Visa, and has been awarded numerous prizes and scholarships in recognition of her skilful piano playing. Winning placements include Japan Player’s Competition, the Young Artist Piano Competition, Le Brilant French Music Competition, Tokyo Piano Competition and Japan Classical Music Competition.
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Kanako obtained her BMus from the Toho Gakuen School of Music before moving to the UK, where she studied at the Royal Northern College of Music on a scholarship. She graduated with a Professional Diploma from the Royal Academy of Music in 2020. Kanako has a strong passion in chamber music and she is a member of Trio Kagura and the Hara Duo. She is also interested in Cross-Artform collaboration and currently works in collaboration with dancers.

YUUKI BOUTEREY-ISHIDO is a New Zealand cellist currently performing around the UK and Europe.

Yuuki has been invited to perform at major festivals around the world, including the Schnittke Festival in London and the Semaine Internationale de Piano et musique de chambre in Switzerland. Other significant performances include solo recitals in Japan, Italy, and New Zealand. He has also toured Europe extensively over three years as a member of the Menuhin Academy Soloists under the direction of Maxim Vengerov.

Yuuki is also a passionate chamber musician and has been awarded numerous chamber music prizes, as well as being regularly invited to perform in various chamber festivals in Europe, collaborating with artists such as David Waterman, Ilya Grubert, and Christophe Roy. He currently performs as a member of Trio Kagura.

Major prizes and awards include the prestigious Diploma of the Royal Academy of Music, First Prize in the Barbirolli Cello Prize 2018, the String Player Award at the Gisborne International Music Competition 2017, and 2nd Prize in the National Concerto Competition in New Zealand.

​PIJUS JONUŠAS is a Lithuanian violinist from Vilnius. A keen chamber musician and teacher, Pijus studied at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague with Peter Brunt and at The Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester UK with Pavel Fischer.​

Pijus has collaborated with such artists as Magnus Johnston, Guy Johnston, John Ryan, Timothy Ridout, Petr Prause, Susie Meszaros and Abel Salaocoe. In 2019 Pijus joined the Elmore Quartet and in 2021 was appointed as a Junior Fellow in chamber music with the Elmore Quartet at The Royal Northern College of Music. He currently performs as a member of Trio Kagura.

Kathryn Stott is internationally recognised as one of Britain’s most versatile and imaginative musicians and among today’s most engaging pianists. As well as appearing on major international concert platforms in recitals as a soloist, she is in demand for a wide variety of chamber music alliances, playing with some of the world’s leading instrumentalists. Kathryn has also directed several distinctive concert series and festivals and has developed an extensive and exceptionally varied catalogue of recordings.

Born in Lancashire, she studied at the Yehudi Menuhin School and the Royal College of Music and was a prize-winner at the Leeds International Piano Competition 1978. Her teachers included Nadia Boulanger, Vlado Perlemuter and Kendall Taylor. In addition to her busy career as a performer, she is a professor at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and believes passionately in nurturing young musicians to reach their potential in the creative world.

Kathryn has been performing and recording with Yo-Yo Ma for 40 years and together they regularly tour Europe, the USA, South America and the Far East. In 2020, she curated their album ‘Songs of Comfort and Hope’ as a musical response to the impact of the pandemic. She has developed shared musical interests with an amazing array of performers and has always enjoyed collaborations with other musicians. She is a remarkable exponent of Tango and other Latin dance music, reflected in her collaboration South American musicians on the Grammy Award-winning Sony CD ‘Soul of the Tango’ and its successor ‘Obrigado Brazil’. In the recording studio Kathryn has created a large and eclectic body of work including concertos and solo repertoire; of particular note is her recording for Hyperion of the complete solo works by Fauré and the complete Kabalevsky Concertos with the BBC Philharmonic for Chandos.

With a wide-ranging repertoire, Kathryn has maintained a keen interest in contemporary music and has had many works written especially for her. In particular, her close musical relationship with the composer Graham Fitkin has led to 11 World premieres. Her output for the BBC over the years has been vast, performing not only in solo recital but also with all the BBC orchestras including 10 ‘Proms’ at the Albert Hall, including ‘Last Night of the Proms’. Her chamber music partners have included Christian Poltéra, Karen Gomyo, Janine Jansen, Yura Lee, Lars Anders Tomter, Henning Kraggerud, Trul Mørk, Tine Thing Helseth, Alexander Sitkovetsky, Maxim Rysanov to name but a few.

Kathryn Stott has been the artistic vision behind several major festivals and concert series. ‘Piano 2000’ and ‘Piano 2003’ ( Bridgewater Hall, Manchester) established her reputation as an astute programmer; and following the earlier ‘Fauré and the French Connection’ she was appointed Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres by the French Government. From 2009 – 2014 she was Artistic Director of the Manchester Chamber Concerts Society and was Guest Artistic Director of Incontri in Terra di Siena in 2010 and 2011. Kathryn has curated two concert series for Leeds International Concerts and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. From 2018-2021, Kathryn relished her role as Artistic Director of the Australian Chamber Music Festival which involved programming over 100 works each festival, instigating commissions and bringing together 45 musicians from Australia and the international community.

In 2008 Kathryn celebrated her 50th birthday with 25 musician friends raising £30k for HIV research and Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy. Besides her performing commitments, Kathryn has also been on the Board of the Hallé Orchestra, a position she held for 7 years. Kathy Stott has a daughter and a granddaughter, and lives in Manchester. A keen walker, she enjoys being out in the countryside and attempts life drawing and pottery time to time.

In December 2024, Kathryn will bring her 45 year performing career to a close and step down from concert life. She is looking forwards to having more time to work with young musicians in this exciting new chapter.