Hiromi Akatsuka, Sachika Mizuno & Momoko Kamiya
Biographie Hiromi Akatsuka, Sachika Mizuno & Momoko Kamiya
Sachika Mizuno
is a prominent Japanese violinist and also a trusted educator, who is enthusiastic about promoting young violinists. Many of her pupils have made brilliant achievements at prestigious competitions in Japan and abroad and serve vital positions in orchestras around the world. Sachika began to study violin under the Suzuki method at age 4. Having graduated from Meiwa Senior High School in Aichi Prefecture in the music class, she went on to continue her studies at Tokyo University of the Arts. She studied under Yoshio Unno. She won the Music Competition of Japan and the Tokyo International Music Competition for chamber music and was awarded prizes at many competitions including the Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition and the Overseas Delegation Competition (Matsushita Award). Sachika Mizuno started her artistic career when she was still a student. Now her activities are worldwide She plays with international orchestras at numerous recitals, chamber music concerts and music festivals. She sometimes performs as a guest concertmaster and even organizes concerts herself. She was invited to master classes in France, the United States and Taiwan and her performances there received great applause. She has released more than 10 CDs, in which she performed many newly-composed works. Her recent CD with Oleh Krysa featuring Concerto for Two Violins (Bach) received critical acclaim in the Record Geijutsu, a music magazine. She collaborated with performers playing the koto (Japanese stringed musical instrument) and the harp, and the CD was successfully released from the Just Intonation Music Workshop. She helped to edit as many as 8 books of violin duo music composed and arranged by Hiroki Tamaki. In 2017, she performed all the violin sonatas by Beethoven in a concert in Tokyo as well as in Osaka. In 2018, she plans to release a CD in collaboration with electronic organ and marimba players. Currently she is a principal professor of Senzoku Gakuen College of Music, the administrator of the Society for the Culture of Yokohama and the representative of the NPO Just Intonation Music Workshop. She also plays a key role in the Virtuoso Yokohama (string orchestra) as representative and concertmaster. She was honored with Yokohama Culture Award in 2012 and Aichi Art and Culture Award in 2014 in recognition of her great contribution to art and culture in Japan.
Momoko Kanda
Japanese marimbist Momoko Kamiya first received international recognition when she was awarded the first prize at the Luxembourg International Marimba competition in 1995. The Toyota Foundation selected her as one of “The Top Young Artists Today” in 2001. In 2005 she was recognized by Kawasaki City, Japan for her distinguished musical activities and received the Azalea Cultural Prize.
Ms. Kamiya actively presents concerts and masterclasses throughout Japan and abroad. She has served on the juries of international competitions in 10 countries. In 2008, she had her New York City debut in Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall. She has released five recordings on the Phillips label: Marimba Cocktail (1996 won best recording prize), Arabesque, Marimba Japanesque, Asian Scene, and Marimba Virtuoso. Her most recent CD, Pieces of Peace, has been released by the Classic Concert label in 2011. She has made numerous concerto performances with major orchestras in Japan and has also appeared abroad with orchestras such as Radio Symphony Orchestra Luxembourg, Beijing Philharmonic, Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, Bucharest Radio Orchestra, National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, and most recently, Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra which she had the world premier of the new Marimba Concerto composed by Kazunori Miyake.
She graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts with the honor of being the first successful candidate in its history as a marimba soloist. In the following year she entered the Juilliard School and completed the Bachelors of Music in three years and was honored with many scholarships. She is a Guest Professor at Senzoku Gakuen College of Music and Elizabeth Music University. She is also a faculty member at Kunitachi College of Music, Aichi Prefectural University of Art, and Okinawa Prefectural University of Art. Also she has often invited to teach at many music seminars in Japan and abroad including International Summer Academy Mozarteum.
