Fumiko Shiraga
Encyclopedia
Fumiko Shiraga is a Japanese born German pianist, a revelation in her country in the late 1990s, well known in classical music both through CD recordings and public performances, in particular of piano concertos in disguise, transcriptions of known masterpieces for chamber ensemble.
before she was four years old, and when she was three her family moved to Germany
. She studied in Essen
, Detmold
and Hannover, where she lives currently, and even though the Japanese culture is very well known to her, she describes herself as European and considers Germany as her homeland.
In her training, she studied piano with Detlef Kraus (Folkwang Hochschule), Friedrich Wilhelm Schnurr (Hochschule für Musik Detmold) and Vladimir Krainev (Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hannover) and graduated in 1995 with the highest honors: she achieved the highest distinction in her soloist examinations. Additional training came from international masterclasses with Nikita Magaloff, Yara Bernette, Jeremy Menuhin, Paul Badura-Skoda and Edith Picht-Axenfeld and from the Polish pedagogue Malgorzata Botor-Schreiber.
Fumiko Shiraga has performed as a solo artist and with orchestras, as well as with chamber music ensembles. She has been instrumental in the revival of the transcriptions (for flute, violin, violoncello and piano), by Johann Nepomuk Hummel
, of some of the Mozart piano concertos. She recorded the two Piano
Concertos by Chopin in a piano and string quintet transcription (1997) and then, in 2001 and in a similar arrangement, she recorded Beethoven's First and Second piano concertos, as well as piano music by Bruckner, including a piano arrangement of his seventh symphony
.
) in Bonn and acceptance into the 40th National Selection of "Concerts by Young Artists" (1996).
Her CD with the Mozart piano concertos 22 and 26 was selected as Editor's Choice in January 2006, and in the same year her last CD of the Mozart-Hummel series, with the piano concerto No. 18 and the 40th Symphony was selected as CD of the month by Piano News.
Fumiko Shiraga Biography: http://www.answers.com/topic/fumiko-shiraga?cat=technology
BIS records: http://www.bis.se/index.php?op=people&pID=2316
Biography
She began studying piano in her native TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
before she was four years old, and when she was three her family moved to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. She studied in Essen
Essen
- Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of...
, Detmold
Detmold
Detmold is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, with a population of about 74,000. It was the capital of the small Principality of Lippe from 1468 until 1918 and then of the Free State of Lippe until 1947...
and Hannover, where she lives currently, and even though the Japanese culture is very well known to her, she describes herself as European and considers Germany as her homeland.
In her training, she studied piano with Detlef Kraus (Folkwang Hochschule), Friedrich Wilhelm Schnurr (Hochschule für Musik Detmold) and Vladimir Krainev (Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hannover) and graduated in 1995 with the highest honors: she achieved the highest distinction in her soloist examinations. Additional training came from international masterclasses with Nikita Magaloff, Yara Bernette, Jeremy Menuhin, Paul Badura-Skoda and Edith Picht-Axenfeld and from the Polish pedagogue Malgorzata Botor-Schreiber.
Fumiko Shiraga has performed as a solo artist and with orchestras, as well as with chamber music ensembles. She has been instrumental in the revival of the transcriptions (for flute, violin, violoncello and piano), by Johann Nepomuk Hummel
Johann Nepomuk Hummel
Johann Nepomuk Hummel or Jan Nepomuk Hummel was an Austrian composer and virtuoso pianist. His music reflects the transition from the Classical to the Romantic musical era.- Life :...
, of some of the Mozart piano concertos. She recorded the two Piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
Concertos by Chopin in a piano and string quintet transcription (1997) and then, in 2001 and in a similar arrangement, she recorded Beethoven's First and Second piano concertos, as well as piano music by Bruckner, including a piano arrangement of his seventh symphony
Symphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle...
.
Awards and distinctions
Several first prizes at the Young Musician’s Competition, the special prize at the International Schubert Competition in Dortmund in 1989; a scholarship from the Stendal Music Foundation In 1992, a prize (1993) at the International Chopin Competition in Göttingen, a new scholarship (1995) from the Deutscher Musikrat (German Music Council, a member of the International Music CouncilInternational Music Council
The International Music Council was created in 1949 as UNESCO's advisory body on matters of music. It is based at UNESCO's headquarters in Paris, France, where it functions as an independent international non-governmental organization...
) in Bonn and acceptance into the 40th National Selection of "Concerts by Young Artists" (1996).
Her CD with the Mozart piano concertos 22 and 26 was selected as Editor's Choice in January 2006, and in the same year her last CD of the Mozart-Hummel series, with the piano concerto No. 18 and the 40th Symphony was selected as CD of the month by Piano News.
Discography
- Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 (Chamber version)
- Fumiko Shiraga - piano
- Orchestra/Ensemble: The Bremen String Soloists
- Bruckner: Piano Works
- Fumiko Shiraga - piano
- Chopin: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2, Chamber version
- Fumiko Shiraga - piano
- Jan-Ingwe Haukas - double bass
- Orchestra/Ensemble: Yggdrasil Quartet
- Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 10 and 24 (arr. Hummel for chamber ensemble)
- Fumiko Shiraga - piano
- Henrik Wiese - flute
- Peter Clemente - violin
- Tibor Bényi - cello
- Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 20 and 25 (arr. Hummel for chamber ensemble)
- Fumiko Shiraga - piano
- Henrik Wiese - flute
- Peter Clemente - violin
- Tibor Bényi - cello
- Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 18 / Symphony No. 40 (arr. Hummel for chamber ensemble)
- Fumiko Shiraga - piano
- Henrik Wiese - flute
- Peter Clemente - violin
- Tibor Bényi - cello
- Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 26 and 22 (arr. Hummel for chamber ensemble)
- Fumiko Shiraga - piano
- Henrik Wiese - flute
- Peter Clemente - violin
- Tibor Bényi - cello
External links
Fumiko Shiraga official website: http://www.fumikoshiraga.de/Fumiko Shiraga Biography: http://www.answers.com/topic/fumiko-shiraga?cat=technology
BIS records: http://www.bis.se/index.php?op=people&pID=2316
- http://www.gramophone.co.uk/edschoice.asp?edsdate=01/04/2006
- http://www.pianonews.de