Kou Shimizu, 17, is a senior at The King’s Academy in Sunnyvale, California. He began studying piano at the age of five and currently studies with Hang Li in the Pre-College Division of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Kou has received top awards in numerous local and international competitions. His achievements include First Prizes at the KAMSA Piano Competition, the Charleston Piano Competition, the United States International Music Competition, and the New York International Young Musician Competition, among others. He was also selected to perform at the Junior Bach Festival. Kou has appeared as a soloist with the Golden State Youth Orchestra and has performed at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. He has also presented a solo recital and received chamber music awards from SFCM.
An avid chamber musician, Kou actively collaborates with other instrumentalists and vocalists. He serves as the pianist for his school’s competitive choir.
Kou has attended summer programs such as the Boston University Tanglewood Institute and the Bowdoin International Music Festival, and has received instruction in lessons and masterclasses with distinguished musicians, including Conrad Tao, HiYeon Choi, Ran Dank, Li-Shan Hung, and Clive Greensmith.
C. Debussy, L'Isle joyeuse, L. 106
