Mayu Kishima (Viool) & Akane Sakai (Piano)

"Just by discovering the Japanese violinist Mayu Kishima (22), this edition of the Elisabeth Competition has proven its worth. Kishima presented a concert of the highest caliber. Her performance was in no way reminiscent of a competition ". (De Standaard, May 29, 2009)

"For me, the most beautiful moments are the moments when you completely forget that there is a match going on with the Japanese Mayu I had that feeling about Kishima last year, even though she was not one of the laureates in the end." (Interview with Katelijne Boon about the Queen Elisabeth Competition, De Standaard, May 22, 2010)

“Kishima weighs the musical events against each other. Without making a sound, she alternates between a ferocious, intense or even slightly crazy way of playing with a whispering string of notes. You can see that she enjoys it and she also reflects that on her listeners,” writes De Standaard about her performance at the Queen Elisabeth Competition in 2009. The Prokofiev Sonata that Mayu Kishima performs during her final round is, for many, the most magical moment of the competition. The fact that the Japanese does not end up among the first six laureates provokes discussion and outrage. What everyone remembers is that Kishima gets lost in the music and forgets that she is on a stage while playing. The young violinist will still receive her laureate concert at the Handelsbeurs. She is accompanied on piano byAkane Sakai, who was highlighted by Martha Argerich at her annual festival in Lugano.