Katsura Tanikawa, Piano

Biography

Hailed by many critics as a vibrant and thoughtful musician, pianist Katsura Tanikawa has been the recipient of more than 20 first prizes in national and international competitions. Ms. Tanikawa has been featured with numerous orchestras in the US and abroad, including featured performances with the Frankfurt State Symphony in Germany, Moscow State Symphony Orchestra in Moscow, Russia, the Philharmonia Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra and the Sound Symphony Orchestra in New York, among many others.

Ms. Tanikawa has presented numerous solo piano recitals, including performances at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington. D.C., Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Merkin Concert Hall in New York, the Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Caramoor Performer's Showcase Series in New York, Villa Bertramka in Prague, Czech Republic, and major concert halls in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka, Japan.

Ms. Tanikawa is also an avid chamber musician, and her collaborations with other musicians have taken her to many cities in the US, Europe and Asia. Ms. Tanikawa has collaborated in chamber music performances with the members of the Vienna Philharmonic Wind Ensemble in 2006, as well as with the members of the Czech Philharmonic during the 2007 Dvorak Festival in Japan. Critics praised her performance with the ensemble "... Tanikawa's playing was filled with exuberance, and she sang her music with deep emotion and beauty." She has also collaborated in chamber music performances with violinist Itzhak Perlman for the Perlman Summer Music benefit concert in New York City.

In 2008, Ms. Tanikawa recorded a solo piano album of all Liszt's music titled Katsura Tanikawa plays Franz Liszt. Previously in 2005, Ms Tanikawa released a CD under the label Art Union titled Beethoven Complete Works for Cello and Piano with renowned Viennese cellist and former cellist of the Vienna Philharmonic, Adalbert Skocic. The Beethoven Sonata album was designated as  “Most Recommended Chamber Music CD” by Record Geijitsu Music publication in Japan.

Ms. Tanikawa received her Bachelor of Music in Piano at The Juilliard School in New York City under the instruction of Yoheved Kaplinsky. She pursued her academic interests at Columbia University, culminating in a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History. Ms. Tanikawa received her Master of Music degree at Yale School of Music studying under Boris Berman.