Mai Nakase was born in 1994 in Tsu, Mie Prefecture, Japan. She graduated from Tokyo College of Music in 2018 and completed her master's degree at Tokyo College of Music in 2020. She recently completed her Masters of Performance with Distinction at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, UK. She is currently in the first year of the Guildhall Artist Diploma. 

Mai has won a varied range of competitions, including the First prize at the Osaka International Music Competition. She was also chosen as “The Most Popular Artist” and was awarded 2nd prize in Piano Duo (Senior Group) in the 3rd Sviatoslav Richter International Piano Competition in 2022. She was awarded the Gold Hands at the Carles & Sofia International Piano Competition in 2023.