Concert appreciation program
- Genre
- Concert
Profile
Left）Natsumi Shibata (violin)
Started playing the violin at the age of 3. Graduated from Osaka Kyoiku University‘s Department of Liberal Arts where she attended a Music Course.
Completed graduate studies in music at Kyoto City University of Arts. Performed at her graduation concert.
Won First Prize at the Kumagusu no Sato Music Competition, Encouragement Prize at the Wakayama Competition, Third Prize in the Ensemble Division of the 18th Nagae Cup International Music Competition (no first prize awarded), Third Prize in the Ensemble Division of the 16th Osaka International Music Competition (no second prize awarded, highest prize awarded to a Japanese), Selected in the Ensemble Division of the 10th Yokohama International Competition, First Prize in the 3rd Soji Hall String Quartet Competition, and the Haydn Prize. In 2012, she passed an audition with her trio and performed at "Ensemble Evening."
In 2013, she took a public lesson with Berlin Philharmonic clarinetist Wenzel Fuchs in a clarinet quintet. In June 2015, she took a public lesson with the Leipzig Quartet, sponsored by the TAMA Music Forum, and in October of the same year she took a public lesson with Luz Leskowitz in a string quartet.
Currently performs in a variety of roles, including as support act, solo and in ensembles.
Center）Yoshiko Ikemura (cello)
After graduating from the Music Department of Hyogo Prefectural Nishinomiya High School, she graduated from the Faculty of Music and the Graduate School of Kyoto City University of Arts (at the top of her class in both institutes). She has won numerous awards, including the Excellence Award at the 5th Sapporo Junior Cello Competition, Third Prize at the 4th Viva Hall Cello Competition and the 2001 Baroque Saal Award.
Until 2009 she was a part-time instructor at the Hyogo Prefectural Nishinomiya High School's music department, where she taught the next generations of musicians.
She has lived in Malaysia for four years since 2014 and has been actively performing in Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong and other places, including performing at the 60th anniversary concert of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Malaysia in 2017.
In 2018 she released a CD, "The Glamorous Duo," with pianist Tomonari Tsuchiya. She is currently a member of "After hours session" and "Ensemble Kobe," and is a part-time instructor at Osaka College of Music.
Right）Yasuko Ukon (piano)
Graduated with honors from Kyoto City University of Arts. Won the Faculty of Music Award. Won the Edwin Fischer Prize at the Lucerne International Music Festival, the Kobe Nada Lions Club Award, the Encouragement Award at the Osaka Culture Festival, the Main Award at the Osaka Culture Festival and the Music Critics Club Encouragement Award. She was a semi-finalist at the 19th William Kapell International Piano Competition.
Won the Music Critic Club Award as a member of "After Hours Session."
She has performed concertos with orchestras in Japan and abroad. She has also appeared on NHK-FM and BS as a soloist and in ensembles. She has been invited to music festivals and performed in various parts of Europe, including Switzerland and Austria.
She is currently a member of "After Hours Session." She is a lecturer at Mukogawa Women's University, Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts and Kobe College.
