Alice Sara Ott (アリス＝紗良・オット) is a German-Japanese pianist.

Early life and education

Alice was born in Munich, Germany, in 1988. Her Japanese mother had studied piano in Tokyo; her father was a German civil engineer. She says she realised as a child that "music was the language that goes much beyond any words" and that she wanted to communicate and express herself through music. Ott started piano lessons at the age of four. At age five, she reached the final stage of the youth competition in Munich, playing to a full house in the Hercules Hall. At age seven, she won the Jugend musiziert competition in Germany. In 2002, Ott was the youngest finalist at the Hamamatsu International Piano Competition in Japan, where she won the Most Promising Artist award. From the age of twelve, she studied at the Salzburg Mozarteum with Karl-Heinz Kämmerling while continuing her school education in Munich. Ott has won awards at a number of piano competitions, including first prize at the 2004 Pianello Val Tidone Competition. Her younger sister Mona Asuka Ott is also a classical pianist. In February 2019, Ott announced on Instagram that she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

Career

Ott has made recordings for Deutsche Grammophon and performs regularly in concert tours in Europe, Japan, and the United States. She won first prize in the 2003 Bach Competition in Köthen, the 2004 Pianello Val Tidone Competition in Italy, and the 4th EPTA (European Piano Teachers Association) International Competition in 2005.

Recordings

Ott has a recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon and her recordings include: