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Masakazu Ito

Guitar Instructor
Newman Center for the Performing Arts, Room 300C
303-871-6425
mito@du.edu

Biography:

Masakazu Ito is recognized as one of today’s top guitarists, acclaimed by musicians, composers, conductors, and critics for his mastery of the instrument and its repertoire.

Since his professional debut in Tokyo in 1987, Ito has won top prizes and critical acclaim in seven major international guitar competitions, including the Andres Segovia International Guitar Competition, the Tokyo International Guitar Competition, the Guitar Foundation of America International Guitar Competition, and the Seto-Ohashi International Guitar Competition.

Ito has been featured as soloist with symphony orchestras throughout Japan and the United States. In 2010 he performed the area premiere of Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto para una Fiesta with Jefferson Symphony Orchestra in Colorado. The Denver Post wrote, "Guitarist Masakazu Ito further contributed to the overall spellbinding performance", upon Ito’s successful guest performance with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra in 2006. Ito has also been a guest at festivals such as the Musikfest in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the Methow Valley Music Festival in Twisp, Washington, the International Guitar Week at the University of Denver, and the Colorado Music Fest at Colorado State University, Pueblo, among others.

A recital in Germany marked his 1995 European debut. The following year, he performed at the Luckman Theatre in Los Angeles. Of this performance, the Los Angeles Times noted, “Ito displayed conspicuous skill and tonal range... [he] proved himself to be a clean and technically adroit player, whizzing through thorny passages with aplomb.”

In March of 2003, he was chosen by the Japanese government to celebrate 150 years of US-Japan relations with a solo guitar recital at the official residence of the Japanese Consul General in Denver.

Ito has performed world premieres of works by three prominent American composers: Daniel Pinkham’s Sagas, for guitar and cello, at the Rocky Mountain Music Festival in 1997; Quiver Songs, a work by Stephen Everett for shakuhachi and guitar, at the Modern Festival in 1998, which featured Japanese portraits at a world music concert; and Ricardo Iznaola’s Musique de Salon No. 8 for guitar and string quartet, which was written for and dedicated to Ito in 2003.

Some of his favorite guitar music comes from Spain. The Classical Guitar magazine called Ito’s 1998 recording ¡España! Music from Spain “a recording of depth... most musically satisfying.” His new CD Poesía Pura explores compositions influenced by poesía pura, a Spanish poetic style introduced by Juan Ramón Jiménez (1881-1958), featuring works by Federico Moreno Torroba, Eduardo Sainz de la Maza and Antonio José.

Another unique dimension of Ito’s career involves his friendship with popular Japanese musician Kitaro. The two collaborated in an outdoor duo concert in 1991. In 2000, Ito wrote and performed guitar parts for Kitaro’s album, Thinking of You (Domo Records). The recording won a Grammy in January 2001 for Best New Age Album. Kitaro has been an influence on Ito’s own work as a composer: Ito’s album, Intimate Guitar, contains some of his own compositions.

Ito is also active teaching; he has been on the faculty at the Lamont School of Music of the University of Denver since 1990.

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