In 2012, Romanian cellist Simona Barbu and Japanese pianist Nariaki Sugiura, distinguished international artists and pedagogues presently teaching at University of North Dakota in the United States, established the musical ensemble known as Duo Cantabile.
The duo traveled extensively giving performances, clinics, lectures, and master classes at prestigious institutions around the world, including Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Mannheim (Germany), Zoltan Kodaly EZI Kecskemet (Hungary), Academy of Music Gheorghe Dima (Romania), Xinghai Conservatory of Music (China), National Taipei University of Arts (Taiwan), University of Antioquia (Colombia), University of Manitoba (Canada), and the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.
The duo has also performed as part of music festivals, performance series, national and international conferences including the North Dakota Museum of Art Concert Series, Greencastle Summer Music Festival in Indiana, Masterworks Music Festival, Cello Festival of Southern Utah, Dream Big Collaborative Piano Conference in Canada, Pingtung University International Conference of Music Performance and Pedagogy in Taiwan, and several College Music Society National Conferences. The duo’s concert programs often include their own transcriptions and newly commissioned pieces for cello and piano by contemporary American composers.
In 2023, the duo founded the Medora Music Academy, assuming roles as the artistic directors, enriching the musical landscape and educational opportunities within the upper Midwest. They are regularly involved in community outreach activities, and they have created and engaged in inter-disciplinary and cross-cultural events together with their students, both nationally and abroad.
The most recent recipient of the Joyce and Aqueil Ahmad Endowment for the Promotion of Peace and Nonviolence, the duo is scheduled to engage into extensive performing activities at underserved communities. The Duo’s extensive performing, teaching and entrepreneurial activities resulted in receiving visiting professorships from institutions such as East China Normal University, honorable awards given to artists who have made significant contributions to their institutions.
Praised by critics for his artistry—described as having “the most sensitive touch on the piano” and “the rigueur, passion, and discipline of an old Samurai”—pianist Nariaki Sugiura has established himself as an international concert artist and leading educator.
He has appeared in solo recitals and concerto engagements throughout the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia, performing at venues such as Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall (New York), Shenzhen Symphony Hall (China), Ferenc Liszt Academy Recital Hall (Hungary), Palazzo Taffini (Italy), Mannheim Baroque Palace (Germany), Daejeon Arts and Cultural Center (South Korea), Manoel Theater (Malta), Kioi Hall (Japan), and Museo de Arte (Puerto Rico). As soloist, he has performed with orchestras including the Greater Grand Forks Symphony Orchestra, Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra, University of Antioquia Symphony Orchestra, Purdue University Philharmonic, and others. A sought-after collaborative pianist, he has performed with artists such as Astrid Schween, Laszlo Varga, Anthony Ross, Csaba Onczay, Federico Agostini, and Emilio Colón. With his wife, cellist Simona Barbu, he formed Duo Cantabile, which tours internationally in both concert and teaching engagements.
Dr. Sugiura has recorded nine albums on Klavier, Centaur, Albany, Eroica, T.K. Music Productions, and Indiana University Latin American Music Center labels. His most recent release, Introspections (Centaur, 2024), features newly commissioned works for Duo Cantabile, and a forthcoming 2025 Centaur release will highlight works for piano left hand commissioned from American composers. His performances are frequently broadcast internationally, and his chamber music editions are published by Ludwig Masters Music Publications. He has collaborated with leading composers including Joan Tower, Libby Larsen, Aaron Jay Kernis, Valerie Coleman, and Matthew Peterson.
A dedicated pedagogue, Dr. Sugiura is Piano Area Coordinator and Professor of Piano and Collaborative Piano at the University of North Dakota. He has presented masterclasses at institutions including the Civico Instituto Musicale “V. Baravalle” (Italy), Gheorghe Dima Music Academy (Romania), Mannheim Musikhochschule (Germany), Xinghai Conservatory (China), Ewha Womans University (South Korea), Universitas Pelita Harapan (Indonesia), St. Paul’s College (Hong Kong), and the University of Minnesota. His festival and teaching appointments include the Lamont Summer Academy (Denver), Winter Music Festival in Brazil, InterHarmony International Music Festival, and International Music Camp. He has adjudicated major competitions in the U.S. and Asia, including the 2025 Paul Wittgenstein International Piano Competition for Left Hand (Japan).
Dr. Sugiura is deeply committed to cultural exchange and community engagement. He founded the Red River Trio Project, creating ties between Grand Forks and its Friendship City, Kanuma (Japan), where he was honored with an ambassadorship in 2015. With his wife, he co-founded the Warsaw Summer Music Academy (Indiana) and Medora Music Academy (North Dakota). Their newest initiative, Harmonies for Peace, which brings classical music to underserved communities, earned Duo Cantabile recognition in 2025 as Joyce and Aqueil Ahmad Endowed Scholars for the Promotion of Peace and Nonviolence.
A native of Japan, Dr. Sugiura began piano studies with his mother at age five. He earned Master and Doctor of Music degrees at Indiana University under Michel Block and Shigeo Neriki, and studied with legendary teachers including Alicia de Larrocha, Alfonso Montecino, and Leonard Hokanson. His awards include top prizes at the Indianapolis Matinee Musicale Competition (1999 and 2000), the 1993 National Music Competition in Tokyo, and the Annual Competition of Music from Spain and Latin America (1999). He is a Yamaha Classical Piano Artist.