The Kensington Concert Series, in collaboration with the San Diego Classical Mandolin Camp, present Japanese virtuoso Takaaki Shibata and Ayako Shibata in an evening of classical mandolin music. The Shibatas are visiting from Japan as part of the San Diego Classical Mandolin Camp.

The Shibatas are visiting from Japan as part of the San Diego Classical Mandolin Camp.

Entrance is FREE. Please RSVP your attendance ahead of time to: zoraidapayne@mac.com

Takaaki Shibata completed the mandolin instrumental pedagogy course at the Musikakademie der Stadt Kassel. He won second place at the 15th Japan Mandolin Solo Competition, third place at the 2nd International Mandolin Solo Competition in Schweinfurt, and the first place at the 2nd European International Mandolin Solo Competition in Saarland(both in Germany). He toured with the Ensemble Philmusica, headed by the late Yasuo Kuwahara, performing in Germany and Spain. As a soloist, Takaaki Shibata has been invited to international music festival in Friedrichshafen, Bamberg, Bruchsal(Germany), and Rioja(Spain). He released CDs “Jag vet en dejlig rosa” with the guitarist Keigo Fujii, “Chronicle” with the Mandolinist Goshi Yoshida, “sky blue flower” with the Mandolinist Christian Laier, and “Elegy in Winter” with the Violinist Motoko Mito, Violist Rieko Kohno, and the Cellist Yosuke Ozawa. He wrote a column on the history and technic of the mandolin for 13 years for the mandolin magazine “Kanaderu Mandolin”. At present, Takaaki Shibata performs a mandolin soloist around Japan and lecturer of Osaka College of Music. He is a chairman of Mandolin Orchestra Guild, also Music instructor in Kyoto University Mandolin Orchestra, Uji Mandolin Ensemble Flora and Japan Super Youth Mandolin Orchestra. He has studied under Masaki Kinoshita, Gertrud Weyhofen, and Steffen Trekel.