A Japanese pianist, composer, and musicologist. Born in Tokyo, he began his musical education at the Kunitachi College of Music, where he studied composition. He moved to France to study at the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique de Paris (CNSM). There, he studied music theory and vocal accompaniment under Anne Le Bozec, completing a second DFS in 2010. In parallel, he pursued piano studies at the Conservatory of Boulogne-Billancourt in the class of Hortense Cartier-Bresson and Marie‑Paule Siruguet.
Yusuke Ishii continued his training at the Centre Acanthes in Metz and the International Ensemble Modern Academy (IEMA) in Innsbruck. From 2010 to 2011, he integrated to the Ensemble Modern International Academy at Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt, where he also earned a Master’s degree. His immersion in the world of contemporary music led to collaborations with renowned composers such as Alain Louvier, Yumiko Yokoi, Martin Matalon, Gérard Pesson, Jacques Lenot, Allain Gaussin, and José Manuel López López.
Ishii’s artistry has been recognized in several international competitions. He was awarded second prize at both the Xavier Montsalvatge International Competition in Spain and the Orléans International Piano Competition, where he also received special distinctions including the Nadia Boulanger Prize in 2008 and the André Jolivet Prize in 2010. These achievements launched him into the European contemporary music scene, leading to performances at prominent festivals such as Festival Musica (Strasbourg), Darmstädter Ferienkurse, Klangspuren Schwaz, and Cresc… Biennale in Frankfurt.
Ishii has released several recordings that reflect his dedication to modern and overlooked repertoire. His first album (2012), released by ALM Records, featured works by André Jolivet and Edgard Varèse. In 2013, he followed with a recording on the French label Lyrinx dedicated to Jolivet and Jacques Lenot, with support from SACEM. In these recordings, Ishii demonstrates a rare ability to capture both the visceral energy and mystical depth of mid-20th-century avant-garde music.
Since 2019, Ishii has been based in Vilnius, Lithuania, where he is currently in doctoral studies at Kaunas University of Technology. In November 2023, he released a landmark vinyl devoted entirely to Bacevičius’ solo piano works (Music Information Centre Lithuania, MICL LP007), shedding light on a mystically inspired composer whose modernist language had long been neglected outside Lithuania.
Through his multifaceted career, Yusuke Ishii exemplifies the artist-scholar model: a pianist whose virtuosity and vision are matched by intellectual depth and cultural curiosity. His work continues to illuminate underrepresented corners of modern musical history.