Shigeru Ikushima

Shigeru Ikushima started playing the violin at the age of 6 and the clarinet at the age of 12. He studied with Yukio Ohashi and Nagataka Ogasawara at Kunitachi College of Music. While still studying, he passed a French government test for funds to study abroad and left for France. He has studied clarinet with Jacques Lancelot, and chamber music with Reine Flachot at the Conservatory De Rouen, France. He graduated from the Conservatory with the highest achievements in both clarinet and chamber music. He also studied under Walter Boeykens for five years, at the Nice Summer Academy in France. He won first place in both the Superior and Excellence categories at the Leopold Bellan Competition in Paris. He also won first prize in the National Qualification Examination for Soloists from the French Government’s Ministry of Culture. As principal player of the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra, he traveled to Italy, Greece, Turkey, and Israel on a two-week Mediterranean cruise. During this time, he gave chamber music concerts with the Cleveland Quartet, Mstislav Rostropovich, Jean-Pierre Rampal, and Maurice André. Later on, Ikushima joined the Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse as the principal clarinet player. In so doing, he became the first Japanese person to join a French orchestra playing a woodwind instrument. During his 21 years in the orchestra, he has traveled extensively with them, touring the world and participating in major music festivals throughout Europe. He has also made nearly 70 recordings for major labels such as EMI, CBS Sony, and Deutsche Grammophon. These recordings have recently been released by EMI as the "Complete French Operas" and the "Complete French Orchestral Works,” each on 38-disc albums (currently on Amazon). In chamber music, he is an active member of the Toulouse Woodwind Quintet and the Woodwind Octet. He has also recorded in Japan with the Toulouse Woodwind Quintet during their 1992 tour of Japan. As a soloist he has performed with New Japan Philharmonic, the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, and the Toulouse Capitol Orchestra, playing concertos by Mozart, Copland, Françaix, Hoffmeister, Strauss, and more. Since his first recital in Tokyo in 1983, he has been involved in a wide range of activities every year in Japan, including concerts, NHK TV and radio appearances, recordings, and master classes every year. In 1995, he was invited to the Kunitachi College of Music and returned to Japan, ending his 26-year stay and life in France. He is frequently invited to serve as a judge for the International Clarinet Competition in Japan, Belgium, Italy, France, and other countries. He was also invited to perform at the International Clarinet Festival, held in Paris and Japan once every four years. Ikushima has also been twice invited to the Lisbon International Clarinet Competition. He recently held a summer camp and performance in China. He is a former principal player of the Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse, and former associate professor at Kunitachi College of Music. He is a specialist lecturer for Buffet Crampon Japan Co., Ltd, and an ambassador and artist for both JLV Ligature (France) and Steuer Reeds (France).