Under the beautiful title
"Where Words Become Songs and Stories Resound – Forms of Love"
two artists from Japan will present the first Carl Loewe concert of 2026 at the Carl Loewe House in Löbejün.
Yoshiaki Kimura will perform primarily historical ballads by Carl Loewe and other composers. The centerpiece of the program is Carl Loewe's Op. 99, featuring the four ballads dedicated to Emperor Charles V.
The Japanese bass-baritone Dr. Yoshiaki Kimura has enjoyed a successful career on European opera stages for over ten years. He made his debut as Figaro at the Bamberg Opera House's summer festival. Since the 2014/15 season, he has been a member of the Bielefeld Theatre ensemble. He has performed over 600 times in Europe, including guest appearances at the Minden Theatre, the Detmold State Theatre, the Mannheim National Theatre, and at festivals in Switzerland.
He studied at Tokyo University of the Arts, Karlsruhe University of Music, and in the Lied class at Stuttgart University of Music and Performing Arts (graduating with a degree). He completed his concert exam with top marks at Trossingen University of Music. He also earned his doctorate from Tokyo University of the Arts with a dissertation on the ballads of Carl Loewe. He is a member of the Japanese Carl Loewe Society and the International Carl Loewe Society.
At the end of March 2026, after 19 years, he will leave Europe and return to Japan. Starting in April, he will take up a teaching position at Musashino Conservatory.
Dr. Miho Ohki is a pianist and piano and music educator. She studied music education at Yokohama National University and, as a scholarship recipient, at the University of Erfurt, as well as instrumental pedagogy (piano) at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg.
She earned her doctorate with a dissertation on the theory and practice of mental training in piano pedagogy (Springer, 2022). Further publications on this topic appeared in Japan (Yamaha, 2023). She also gives lectures and workshops at national and international conferences.
As a pianist, she performs regularly and has given concerts in numerous cities in Japan and Germany, including Tochigi, Tokyo, Yokohama, Merseburg, Halle, Erfurt, Leuna, Bad Lauchstädt, Pulsnitz, Magdeburg, Zerbst, and Quedlinburg.
Since 2019, she has taught piano at the University of Erfurt. Since 2024, she has also worked as a piano teacher, accompanist and head of department at the "Carl Loewe" district music school.
