Biography
Richard Octaviano Kogima is a Brazilian pianist, composer and conductor. His performances have been defined as “memorable and revelatory” (Gregory Sullivan, Theater Jones), filled with “multifaceted nuance and transparent sound” (Badische Zeitung, Sudkurier). Known for interpretations of deep lyrical power yet unswerving rhythmical drive, he is rising as a distinguished artist of his generation.
Richard has performed as a soloist and chamber musician throughout Brazil, United States and Europe in venues that include: Tonhalle Maag and Tonhalle Kleiner Saal (Zurich), Salle Cortot (Paris), University Aula (Oslo), Howard Performing Arts Center (USA), Theatro Castro Mendes and Auditório Claudio Santoro (Brazil).
A laureate of several international competitions, Richard has been awarded the “Nelson Freire Award” at the Geza Anda Piano Competition in 2022, as well as 1st Prizes at the 25th Concours Internationale Flame (Paris) , Landolt Competition and KIWANIS Chamber Music Competition Zürich and the 5th Andrews International Music Competition (Michigan, USA). He has also received the “Press Award For Outstanding Musicianship” at the Olga Kern International Piano Competition (Albuquerque, USA), and an Audience Prize and “Best Performance Of The Contemporary Work” prize at the Concours International Alain Marinaro.
Among the music festivals Richard participated are the Emil Gilels Festival, Usedomer Musikfest, Germany; Festspillene i Bergen, Norway; Chautauqua Institution Music Festival, USA; Festival Internacional de Inverno de Campos do Jordão, Brazil. He has worked in masterclasses and received musical insights from artist such as Maria João Pires, Leif Ove Andsnes, Dimitri Bashkirov, Christian Zacharias, Jiri Hlinka, Robert Levin and Jean-Louis Steuerman.
Richard received some of the most meaningful musical and personal insights to him from Herbert Blomstedt, whom he considers a mentor, and who personally invited him to accompany and support him in his 2022 tour with the main American orchestras. His influence has impacted Richard’s development in countless and long-lasting ways.
In 2019 Richard received a Medal of Honor from the Association Internationale Pour La Défense De La Liberté Religieuse in Geneva after performing a series of concerts dedicated to this cause.
As a Pedagogue, he has been invited to teach masterclasses at institutions such as the Haute École de Musique de Genève, the University of São Paulo, among others.
He is currently based in Switzerland, where he obtained a Masters Degree in Piano Performance and a Masters in Piano Pedagogy at the Zurich University of Arts in the class of Konstantin Scherbakov, and now studies conducting in the Class of Markus Utz. Having graduated from High School as a valedictorian, Richard received his Bachelor in Piano Performance at Universidade de Saõ Paulo. He then entered École Normale de Musique de Paris where he obtained his „Diplome Superieur d’Exécution“ funded by a full scholarship from „Fond Brésil“. His former teachers include Eduardo Monteiro, Guigla Katsarava, Maria José Carrasqueira and his grandmother, Helgard Ostermayer Octaviano.
The 2022/2023 season will feature his debut as a conductor in his homeland Brazil with the Neojiba Orchestra, the Orquestra Experimental de Repertorio and the Sao Paulo University Symphony Orchestra.
Publication
www.richardkogima.com