Taking the concert world by storm, pianist and composer Hayato Sumino breathes new life into the term virtuoso. He is not just a pianist; he is a real phenomenon. He plays the piano at a world-class level, has a degree in engineering, composes, arranges and improvises and is also a real YouTube star with over 1.3 million followers under the name »Cateen«. His passion and spontaneity draw his fans to the concert hall, he bridges the gap between the social media world and impressive performances on all the world’s major stages like no other. In the summer, an extensive sold-out 24-recital tour of Japan culminated at Budokan (Tokyo), where he performed for more than 13,000 fans. 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, including his rendition of Ravel’s Boléro on two pianos.
Hayato Sumino – Live from Suntory Hall, Tokyo
He is probably the most exciting representative of the current pianist scene: Hayato Sumino inspires with his phenomenal virtuosity and infectious joy of playing, his concert tours are sold out worldwide. In his unique style, Sumino combines classical technique with great talent for arrangement and improvisation, bringing a fresh and innovative approach to piano music. The 30-year-old Japanese musician is not only causing a stir with classical works. Under the name “Cateen”, he is also a YouTube star with 1.5 million subscribers with his own compositions and arrangements, and is inspiring a steadily growing online fan base for his art. Of his numerous competition successes and awards, the most recent is the Leonard Bernstein Award 2025 from the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival. This program is a recording of Hayato Sumino’s concert at Suntory Hall in Tokyo. With music ranging from J.S. Bach to Hans Zimmer and from Chopin to his own compositions, the exceptional artist once again demonstrates his impressive versatility and virtuosity.