Mr. Akira Imai was born in Tokyo in 1954. At the invitation of Paul Badura-Skoda, Mr.Imai moved to Vienna at age sixteen. Already at age nineteen, he graduated from State University for Music in Vienna with high honors. He continued his studies under Professor Paul Badura-Skoda in Germany and received a Concert Diploma from the Folkwang Hochschule for Music, Essen, in 1979.

Since that time Mr. Imai has been a prizewinner in several international piano competitions, then appeared as soloist and chamber musician in many major concert halls throughout the world. Numerous critics have remarked on Mr. Imai's characteristic blend of European tradition with Japanese precision.

From 1981 to 1995 he served as Professor of Piano at the State University for Music in Vienna. He is author of publications on a wide variety of music subjects and is editor for several publishing houses. Mr. Imai is one of Japan's most respected artists and pedagogues and also teaching at the graduate school of Kunitachi College of Music in Tokyo.