Taking the concert world by storm, pianist and composer Hayato Sumino breathes new life into the term virtuoso. An exclusive Sony Classical recording artist, Artist Ambassador for Apple Music Classical, Steinway Artist, and CASIO Ambassador, Hayato continues to forge his own path in the arts.

His dynamism and creativity are the building blocks of his astonishing online presence—boasting over 1.3 million YouTube followers and 180 million views on the channel/pseudonym “Cateen”—and his passion and spontaneity draw his fans to the concert hall, regularly selling out shows from Tokyo to London to Chicago to Vancouver, with lines out the door for Hayato’s autograph. His 2022 debut album Hayatosm featured music by Chopin, Liszt, and his own compositions, and worldwide success lead to Digital Journal’s recognition in “Best Classical Albums for 2020.” His debut album with Sony Classical is set for release this fall and includes works by Bach, Debussy, Fauré, and Hayato’s own arrangement of Ravel’s Bolero.

His 2024 debut at Royal Albert Hall—where Hayato performed Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra—created a media frenzy. “Something truly unforgettable was created by Hayato Sumino when he made his debut on the piano world’s biggest stage” (Classic FM). In the summer, an extensive sold-out 24-recital tour of Japan culminated in a celebration for Hayato’s July 14 birthday at Budokan (Tokyo), where he performed for more than 13,000 fans.

He continues expanding his international profile with debuts at the Rheingau Musik Festival in Germany, the Gstaad Menuhin Festival in Switzerland, and the Ravinia Festival where he performs Chopin with Marin Alsop and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. As a soloist, Hayato is regularly featured with leading orchestras worldwide, including the Hamburg, Polish National Radio, and NHK Symphony Orchestras, the Tokyo, Japan, Kansai, and Osaka Philharmonics, the Pacific Philharmonia Orchestra, the Boston Pops, and many more.

Quickly becoming one of the most in-demand pianists of his generation, Hayato’s 2024/25 season commences with an 11-concert tour as soloist in Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 26 (“Coronation”) with Marin Alsop and the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra. Next a series of debuts across many of Europe’s finest concert halls, including the Berlin Philharmonie, Elbphilharmonie, Tonhalle Zürich, Munich Prinzregententheater, Tonhalle Düsseldorf, and the Liederhalle Stuttgart. Under the baton of legendary film composer Maestro Joe Hisaishi, Hayato returns as soloist with the New Japan Philharmonic to perform Olivier Messiaen’s Turangalîla-Symphonie.

His unique style blends classical virtuoso tradition with an arranger’s ear and breathtaking improvisational skills, allowing Hayato to share not only classical masterworks, but also his original compositions and arrangements with audiences across the globe. In 2018, he won the Grand Prix at the PTNA Piano Competition, and shortly after in 2020, while completing his Master of Engineering degree, he was recognized with the University of Tokyo’s President’s Award for his exceptional achievements both in music and in academics.

Continuing a long series of accolades for his fresh and innovative approach to music, Hayato was featured on Forbes Japan’s “30 under 30” list in 2023, which recognizes “young entrepreneurs, leaders and trailblazers” who are spearheading “the transformation of industries and finding innovative ways to navigate new business realities.”