Tutors:

Noriko Ogawa - Pianist

Noriko Ogawa was awarded third prize in the 1987 Leeds International Piano Competition and has since achieved considerable renown in Europe, America and in her native Japan where she is a national celebrity.
In 1999 Noriko Ogawa was awarded the Japanese Ministry of Education's Art Prize in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the cultural profile of Japan throughout the world and she has just been awarded the Okura Prize for her outstanding contribution to music in Japan. In 2004 she was appointed as one of the advisors for a new concert hall in her hometown in Japan, the MUZA Kawasaki Symphony Hall. Here she remains much in demand, appearing at major arts festivals, performing regularly with the major orchestras and making regular radio and television broadcasts for both NHK and Nippon television.  Following her success at Leeds, Ogawa gained a devoted following. Ogawa records regularly for the BBC as recitalist and soloist, gives chamber recitals and appears with all the major UK, European, Japanese and US orchestras. Ogawa is also renowned as a recitalist and chamber musician; concerts have taken her all over the world and included a tour of Japan with the Berlin Philharmonic Wind Ensemble and the leader of the Vienna Philharmonic, Rainer Honeck. 2001 saw the launch of her piano duo with renowned pianist Kathryn Stott, with whom she recently completed a highly successful Japanese tour. Ogawa also collaborates with Steven Isserlis, Isabelle van Keulen, Martin Roscoe and Michael Collins. Noriko has recently completed a chamber tour in Japan with Evelyn Glennie which saw the premier of new work for two pianos and percussion, commissioned by Noriko from Yoshihiro Kanno. In November 2007, Noriko made her debut with the Orchestre National de Lille.

Ogawa’s ability to communicate with audiences of all levels distinguishes her from other soloists. She introduces recitals and is sought after for presenting both on the radio (UK and Japan) and also television, recently appearing on BBC Worldwide in ‘Visionaries’ as an advocate for Takemitsu. Ogawa has written her first book (released in Japan) and is a regular columnist for the music press both here and in Japan.

Ogawa regularly adjudicates major international competitions including the BBC Young Musician of the Year, The Manchester International Piano Competition, The Scottish International Piano Competition.
She also has regular teaching commitments at the Guildhall School of Music and is in demand as a teacher giving masterclassess  around the world including The University of Aukland, University of Waikito, Chethams International Summer School, and the London College of Music.  Ogawa enjoys collaborating in education outreach exampled in her series ‘Jamie’s concerts’ for autistic children and parents.

Since 1997 Noriko Ogawa has been an exclusive recording artist for BIS Records. Her recordings include works by Japanese composers, including Toru Takemitsu Riverrun (awarded Editor's Choice in the January edition of Gramophone Magazine), Rachmaninov Second and Third Piano Concertos, Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition, (selected as the Critics' Choice 1998 by BBC Music Magazine). Ogawa has also released the remaining concertos of Rachmaninov, and discs of music by Tcherepnin and Saint-Saens. Future and recent releases include Grieg Piano Concerto in A Minor with the Bergen Philharmonic, Delius music for piano duo and Graham Fitkin's double concerto Circuit both with duo partner Kathryn Stott.
Ogawa's ongoing series with BIS is the complete solo works for piano by Debussy of which volumes one and two have been met with critical acclaim the world over, the latter winning Editor's Choice in the March 2003 edition of Gramophone Magazine.. The recently released third volume has been met with equal admiration from critics, further establishing her profile as a Debussy expert and winning Editor's Choice in the January 2006 edition of Gramophone Magazine.

Noriko Ogawa appears by arrangement with Hazard Chase Ltd

Andrew Ball - pianist

Andrew Ball studied piano with Kendall Taylor at the Royal College of Music, as well as taking a First in music at The Queen's College, Oxford. A busy and esteemed performing career has always shown a wide-ranging and innovative approach to repertoire. Highlights have included Messiaen at the Henry Wood Proms, the complete sonatas of Tippett (which he studied with the composer ), and the British premiere of Sofia Gubaidulina's Piano Sonata at the Bath Festival.

More recently he performed in Stravinsky's Les Noces at the Barbican under Valery Gergiev, and recorded 16 newly commissioned songs by contemporary british composers for NMC. He was Head of Keyboard at the RCM from 1999-2005, and was made a Fellow of the college in 2205. He still has a busy teaching schedule there, and also gives masterclasses around the world, most recently in Spain, Germany, Hong Kong and Taiwan. He has been on many competition juries, both in the UK and, recently, in Dresden, Amsterdam and New Orleans.

 

Andrew Ball a fait ses études de piano avec Kendall Taylor au Royal College of Music à Londres et il a eu sa licence en musique avec mention très bien à Queens College Oxford. Au cours de sa carrière distinguée il a toujours choisi un répertoire varié et une approche pleine d’initiative:  il a joué Messiaen aux Promenade Concerts à la Royal Albert Hall à Londres, toutes les sonates pour piano de Michael Tippett (qu’il a étudiées avec le compositeur), et il a donné la première britannique de la sonate de piano de Sofia Gubaidulina au festival de Bath.

Parmi ses engagements récents il a joué dans Les Noces de Stravinsky sous la direction de Valery Gergiev à la Barbican Hall à Londres, et il a enregistré une collection de chansons commandées de compositeurs britanniques contemporains. De 1999 à 2005 il était directeur des études de piano au Royal College où il est encore professeur. Il donne des cours de maître partout dans le monde, récemment en Espagne, en Allemagne, à Hong Kong et à Taiwan. Il a été membre du jury pour plusieurs concours internationaux en Grande-Bretagne et dernièrement à Dresden, à Amsterdam et à la Nouvelle-Orléans.

Translations by Elizabeth Wardle

 

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