is a Japanese classical pianist

Pianist

A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...

. She gave the world premiere of Chopin Piano Concertos in E minor Op.11 and F minor Op.21 in the version for one piano as published in the National Edition.

Education

After graduating from Nagoya Municipal Kikuzato High School Music Department, she studied piano, organ, conducting and chamber music under prof. Atsuko Ohori, prof. Both Lehel and Yuzo Toyama

Yuzo Toyama

is a Japanese composer and conductor. A native of Tokyo, he was a pupil of Kan'ichi Shimofusa; he studied conducting with Kurt Wöss and Wilhelm Loibner, and like them later became a conductor of the NHK Symphony Orchestra. As a conductor he has served with numerous orchestras throughout Japan; as...

 at Aichi Prefectural University of Arts and Music. During her postgraduate studies in Aichi, her talent was spotted by prof. Jan Ekier

Jan Ekier

Jan Ekier is a Polish pianist and composer widely known for his authoritative edition of Chopin's music for the Polish National Edition. He was born in Kraków, Poland...

, during his visit to Japan. She studied at Chopin Music Academy in Warsaw (Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw) and gained her diploma in 1994.

Performances

Kawai has performed throughout Europe and Japan. She is especially known for playing Chopin, according to National Edition. Since 2001 she has given recitals of Chopin's entire output on the basis of the National Edition - 'Yuko Kawai Chopinissimo Series'.
Chopin: Piano Concerto No.1 in E minor Op.11 version for one piano by Chopin, according to National Edition

• world premiere: 17 June 2002, Chiryu, Japan
• Italy premiere: September 2010, Auditorium del Massimo, Rome
• Austria premiere: 6 May 2011, Schönberg Centre, Vienna

Chopin: Piano Concerto No.2 in F minor Op.21 version for one piano by Chopin, according to National Edition

• world premiere: 11 August 2004, Chiryu, Japan

F.Kalkbrenner Piano Concerto No.4 in A-flat major Op.127

• Japan premiere: 17 February 2009, Shirakawa Hall, Nagoya, ( Central Aichi Symphony Orchestra, Ichiro Saito, conductor )

In January 2008, she gave her final performance of the complete Mozart piano sonata cycle in Nagoya and Anjo, Japan.

Recordings

Kawai has recorded 12 CDs with the BeArTon, PLATZ and IMAGINE label.
Chopin: Lento con gran espressione - the National Edition Series A ( BeArTon ) 1999 - 'One of best discs of Sonata Op.58' - CHOPIN magazine 1999

• Lento con gran espressione in C-sharp minor WN37 ( version of the later autograph )
• Ballade No.1 in G minor Op.23
• Nocturne No.2 in E-flat major Op.9 No.2 version with Chopin's variants
• Etude in C major Op.10 No.1
• Etude in E major Op.10 No.3
• Etude in C minor Op.25 No.12
• Waltz in C-sharp minor Op.64 No.2
• Mazurka in F minor WN65
• Sonata in B minor Op.58
• Lento con gran espressione in C-sharp minor WN37 ( earlier version )

Chopin: Ballades and Impromptus - National Edition ( PLATZ ) 2004

• Ballade No.1 in G minor Op.23
• Ballade No.2 in F major Op.38
• Ballade No.3 in A-flat major Op.47
• Ballade No.4 in F minor Op.52
• Impromptu No.1 in A-flat major Op.29
• Impromptu No.2 in F-sharp major Op.36
• Impromptu No.3 in G-flat major Op.51

Chopinissimo I - National Edition ( Imagine ) 2006

• Cantabile in B-flat major WN43
• Sostenuto in E-flat major WN53
• Lento con gran espressione in C-sharp minor WN37
• Allegretto in F-sharp major WN36
• 5 Mazurkas Op.6

No.1 F-sharp minor
No.2 C-sharp minor
No.3 E major
No.4 E-flat minor
No.5 C major

• Sixth Variation from 'Hexameron' in E major
• Variations brillantes B-flat major Op.12
• Nocturne E minor WN23
• Funeral March in C minor WN11
• Sonata in B-flat minor Op.35
• Nocturne in E-flat major Op.9 No.2 version with Chopin's variants

Chopinissimo II - National Edition ( Imagine ) 2007

• Nocturne No.1 in B-flat minor Op.9 No.1
• Nocturne No.2 in E-flat major Op.9 No.2 ( simple version )
• Nocturne No.2 in E-flat major Op.9 No.2 ( version with variants )
• Nocturne No.3 in B major Op.9 No.3
• Contredanse in G-flat major WN29
• Lento con gran espressione in C-sharp minor WN37 ( version of the later autograph )
• 4 Mazurkas Op.7

No.1 B-flat major
No.2 A minor
No.3 F minor
No.4 A-flat major

• 3 Ecossaises WN27

No.1 G major
No.2 D-flat major
No.3 D major

• Fantaisie in F minor Op.49

Chopinissimo III - National Edition ( Imagine ) 2007

• R.Schumann: 'Träumerei' ( Scene from Childhood Op.15 )
• F.Chopin: Nocturne No.4 in F major Op.15 No.1
• Nocturne No.5 in F-sharp major Op.15 No.2
• Nocturne No.6 in G minor Op.15 No.3
• 4 Mazurkas Op.17

No.1 B-flat major
No.2 E minor
No.3 A-flat major
No.4 A minor

• 12 Etudes Op.10

No.1 C major
No.2 A minor
No.3 E major
No.4 C-sharp minor
No.5 G-flat major
No.6 E-flat minor
No.7 C major
No.8 F major
No.9 F minor
No.10 A-flat major
No.11 E-flat major
No.12 C minor
Chopinissimo IV - National Edition ( Imagine ) 2007

• Moderato in E major WN56
• Galop Marquis in A-flat major WN59
• Impromptu in C-sharp minor WN46
• Ballade No.1 in G minor Op.23
• Piano Concerto No.1 in E minor Op.11 (version for one piano/original by Chopin)

Allegro maestoso
ROMANCE Larghetto
RONDO Viviane
Various Compositions - The National Edition Series B ( BeArTon ) 2007

• Marche Funebre in C minor WN9
• 3 Ecossaises WN13

No.1 G major
No.2 D-flat major
No.3 D major

• [Variants] /Souvenir de Paganini/ WN16
• Nocturne in E minor WN23
• Contredanse in G-flat major WN27
• [Allegretto] in F-sharp major WN36
• [Lento con gran espressione] /Nocturne in C-sharp minor/ WN37 earlier version
• [Lento con gran espressione] /Nocturne in C-sharp minor/ WN37 later version
• Cantabile in B-flat major WN43
• Presto con leggierezza /Prelude in A-flat major/ WN44
• Impromptu in C-sharp minor WN46 /Fantaisie-Impromptu/
• 'Spring' WN52a
• Sostenuto in E-flat major WN53 /Waltz in E-flat major/
• Moderato in E major WN56 /Feuille d'Album/
• Galop Marquis in A-flat major WN59
• Nocturne in C minor WN62

Chopinissimo V - National Edition ( Imagine ) 2008

• 4 Mazurkas Op.24

No.1 G minor
No.2 C major
No.3 A-flat major
No.4 B-flat major

• Polonaise E-flat major Op.22 preceded with Andante spianato for piano and orchestra version for one piano
• 12 Etudes Op.25

No.1 A-flat major
No.2 F minor
No.3 F major
No.4 A minor
No.5 E minor
No.6 G-sharp minor
No.7 C-sharp minor
No.8 D-flat major
No.9 G-flat major
No.10 B minor
No.11 A minor
No.12 C minor

• Prelude in E minor Op.28 No.4

Chopinissimo VI - National Edition ( Imagine ) 2008

• Nocturne in C-sharp minor Op.27 No.1
• Nocturne in D-flat major Op.27 No.2
• 4 Mazurkas Op.30

No.1 C minor
No.2 B minor
No.3 D-flat major
No.4 C-sharp minor

• 24 Preludes Op.28

No.1 C major
No.2 A minor
No.3 G major
No.4 E minor
No.5 D major
No.6 B minor
No.7 A major
No.8 F-sharp minor
No.9 E major
No.10 C-sharp minor
No.11 B major
No.12 G-sharp minor
No.13 F-sharp major
No.14 E-flat minor
No.15 D-flat major
No.16 B-flat minor
No.17 A-flat major
No.18 F minor
No.19 E-flat major
No.20 C minor
No.21 B-flat major
No.22 G minor
No.23 F major
No.24 D minor
Chopinissimo VII - National Edition ( Imagine ) 2009

• J.S.Bach: Invention No.14 in B-flat major BWV785
• F.Chopin: Polonaise in B-flat major WN1
• Polonaise in G minor WN2
• Polonaise in A-flat major WN3
• Rondo No.3 in E-flat major Op.16
• Piano Concerto No.2 in F minor Op.21 (version for one piano/original by Chopin)

Maestoso
Larghetto
Allegro vivace

• J.S.Bach: Invention No.1 in C major BWV772
• F.Chopin: Etude in C minor Op.10 No.12

Chopinissimo VIII - National Edition ( Imagine ) 2010

• J.S.Bach: 'Prelude' from Prelude and Fugue in F-sharp major BWV858
• F.Chopin: Impromptu No.2 in F-sharp major Op.36
• Moderato in E major WN56
• Impromptu No.1 in A-flat major Op.29
• Ballade No.2 in F major Op.38
• Ballade No.1 in G minor Op.23
• Impromptu in C-sharp minor WN46
• Impromptu No.3 in G-flat major Op.51
• Ballade No.3 in A-flat major Op.47
• Ballade No.4 in F minor Op.52
• Waltz in F minor WN55
• Etude in A-flat major Op.25 No.1

Chopin: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 single-piano version - National Edition ( BeArTon ) 2010

• Piano Concerto in F minor Op.21 single-piano version

Maestoso
Larghetto
Allegro vivace

• Piano Concerto in E minor Op.11 single-piano version

Allegro maestoso
Romance. Larghetto
Rondo. Vivace

Life in Poland

She has lived in Poland since 1991. She obtained permanent residence in Poland in 1999.

External links

• Yuko Kawai Official Website
• Warsaw Artists Management
• Concert Imagine
• BeArTon
• Yuko Kawai Facebook page
• Yuko Kawai Twitter
• Interview 'Pianist Kawai seeks out the real Chopin' - The Japan Times