Born in 2001, Hibiki Kojima is a 24-year-old artist from Isesaki, Gunma, Japan.
He is a pianist, composer, arranger, conductor, actor, and lecturer at the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna.
His talent for the piano was first recognized at a local nursery school.
At the age of ten, he entered an international competition for the first time and won three first prizes in Italy.
At eleven, he moved to Vienna. Around the same time, he began performing professionally as a pianist, giving a wide range of solo concerts in Japan, Austria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, and beyond. He has also given small concerts at nursery schools and elementary schools, contributing to the musical and artistic education of younger generations.
At sixteen, he entered the composition program at the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna (MUK), and from eighteen he was also enrolled in the university piano program.
He completed a Bachelor degree in composition at twenty, a Master degree in composition at twenty-two, and a Bachelor degree in piano at twenty-three.
In autumn 2024, he began the Master program in Piano Chamber Music at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna.
Also from autumn 2024, he joined the piano faculty at MUK as a lecturer, taking on a new challenge as an educator.
Since childhood, he has also had a deep interest in Japanese culture, studying Japanese dance and poetry dance as well as kyogen and noh.
He currently studies kyogen with Taichiro Nomura, and noh chant and performance with Atsuo Kanze.
His work crosses genres and borders, including classical music, jazz, pop, contemporary music, improvisation, repetiteur work, chamber music, band performance, organ, opera, operetta, Viennese folk song, electronic music, film music, live electronics, kyogen, and noh, with activities in Japan, Europe, and China.
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Selected Activities
Composition, Arrangement, and Interdisciplinary Projects
Arranged opera works for a Sommeroper Kittsee project
Arranged and performed with soprano Akiko Nakajima and noh performer Jun-nosuke Watanabe at the Gargantua Music Festival in Kanazawa, playing piano and synthesizer simultaneously
Created an unusual collaboration with kyogen actor Taichiro Nomura, combining kyogen dance with piano music composed by Kojima
Composed a new work and arranged classical pieces for a Jeunesse project, scored for zither, recorder, accordion, and cello quartet
Presented his own mini-opera at Wien Modern, Vienna festival for contemporary music
Premiered his string quartet at the Embassy of Japan in Austria
His installation artwork was invited to Laval Virtual in France, one of Europe largest festivals for VR, AR, XR, and the metaverse, where it received an award
Performed in an opera project produced by Aleksey Igudesman
Served as music director, arranger, pianist, and conductor for the world first music-theater project based on Mahler Des Knaben Wunderhorn
Piano and Performance
Performed a contemporary piano concerto at the Vienna Konzerthaus as part of Wien Modern
Appeared as a contemporary-music pianist at Wien Modern
Accompanied soprano Akiko Nakajima in recital
Performed a duo concert with saxophonist Yo Matsushita
Worked on recording and repetiteur projects at the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology
Performed several times at the Musikverein in Vienna
Accompanied orchestra auditions held at the Musikverein in Vienna
Appeared in numerous film-music concerts
Accompanied choral concerts
Participated as pianist in a contemporary-music concert at mdw, the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna
Accompanied opera and operetta concerts
Engaged in a wide range of performance work, including vocal recordings and concert accompaniment, duo, trio, and ensemble projects
Gave a solo concert at the Christmas gathering of the Japanese Society in Austria
Performed as part of a jazz quintet at a Viennese ball
Played synthesizer in a concert of Joe Zawinul music at MuTh
Education and Teaching
Worked as a repetiteur and coach at the Lilienfeld Summer Academy
Held two workshops for MUK students at the Bechstein Center Vienna
Organized and presented student class concerts at MUK
Served as a jury member for Master final examinations at MUK
Served as an examiner for entrance examinations at MUK
