Mie Kobayashi　Violin　Recital　Vol. 2

Mie Kobayashi studied at the high school attached to the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music and continued to study at the university, from which she graduated at the top of her class. She won the Ataka prize and the Fukushima prize while studying at the university. She received the Kawai Overseas Competition Award in 1984, and Second Prize at the Louis Spohr International Competition, also earning a prize for sonata interpretation in 1988.
In 1990 she became the first Japanese to win the top prize at the Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud International Competition for Piano and Violin, and from that point she began her professional career inside and outside Japan.
Kobayashi has performed as a soloist with leading Japanese orchestras including NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, New Japan Philharmonic, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra, and Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa, as well as Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra and Prague Symphony Orchestra, all to high acclaim. She is also an active in the field of chamber music, performing with many colleagues and as a member of the Shizuoka AOI Quartet, at festivals including Karuizawa International Music Festival where she appears every year.
Kobayashi has released numerous CDs including ”Plays Kreisler”, duo with Pascal Roge “Four?” and “Ravel & Enesco”, and a collection of famous violin pieces including “Zigeunerweisen”.
In 2010, she gave an outstanding performance in a recital at Kioi Hall marking the 20th anniversary of her debut, and was invited to become a jury member of the violin division of the Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud International Competition. In 2012, Kobayashi performed at the concert in Pakistan to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between Japan and Pakistan. She has also performed in France, England, Thailand, China, Korea, and New Zealand, where her refined but dynamic performances fascinated audience.
As one of the leading violinists of Japan, Kobayashi’s recitals, chamber music concerts, and performances with orchestras are scheduled nationwide for the coming years. Currently she is a professor at Showa University of Music.

Mami Hagiwara has garnered attention as a rising pianist after becoming the first Japanese national to win first prize at the 65th Geneva International Music Competition, held in Autumn 2010. The prestigious competition does not award first prize every year, and Mami’s victory attracted attention in various circles, as first place had not been awarded in eight years.
Born in Hiroshima (Japan), Mami Hagiwara began her piano studies at age five. After winning numerous prizes in Japanese competitions, she became, at age 13, the youngest winner of the 27th Palma D’Oro International Piano Competition.
After graduating from the Hiroshima Music High School, Mami entered the Conservatoire de Paris upon the unanimous recommendation of the panel of judges, receiving a scholarship from the Agency of Cultural Affairs as part of the Japanese Government’s Overseas Study Program for Artists.
Having studied under Jacques Rouvier and Prisca Benoit, she completed the Master’s programme at the Conservatoire de Paris, graduating top of her class. In the same year, she won the Geneva International Music Competition, and at the finals, she performed with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, conducted by Pascal Rophé.
In 2011, Mami has been invited to perform at the New Year Music Festival in Gstaad and at the Jura Music Festival in Switzerland, at the P?rigord Noir Music festival in France, as well as at an earthquake relief concert for Japan at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. She also performed in Geneva, Paris and Munich on a concert tour in May for winners of the Geneva International Music Competition. Following this, she performed at a solo recital in Tübingen, Germany.
In 2011, her solo recital will be held again in Geneva. Her future activities in Japan for 2011/12 include performances with Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra and New Japan Philharmonic in July, a hoped-for solo recital in Tokyo and co-starring with Tokyo Symphony Orchestra in November, as well as the Ensemble of Tokyo in December.
Mami currently studies chamber music under Itamar Golan and Eric Le Sage at the Conservatoire de Paris and the Regional Conservatory of Paris as a scholarship recipient of the Rome Music Foundation. She is based in Paris, and continues to perform while pursuing her studies.
In the past, Mami Hagiwara has studied under Kazu Takamatsu, Mihoko Tanaka, Motoko Kojima and Claudio Soares; she has also taken master classes with Henri Barda, Jörg Demus and Boris Petrushansky.
Mami Hagiwara has been the recipient of the Hiroshima Phoenix Award and Maple Award in 1996 and 1998 respectively. In 2001, she received a cultural award from the city of Finale Ligure, Italy, as well as being presented with the Hiroshima Citizen’s Award, the Hiroshima Special Phoenix Award, as well as the new artist award by the Music Pen Club.

1stVn, Gentaro Kagitomi ／ 2ndVn, Momoko Yamada ／ Va, Yukiko Yoshida ／Vc, Hajime Otomo