Naruhiko Kawaguchi Fortepiano Recital

December 12, 2021 (Sun) Start 3:00 pm

Saitama Arts Theater / Concert Hall

Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi(Cello), Yu Kosuge(Piano)

Beethoven: Seven Variations on “Bei Mannern, welche Liebe fuhlen” from《The Magic Flute》by Mozart, in E flat major, WoO 46
Schumann: Five Pieces in Folk Style Op. 102
Mendelssohn: Cello Sonata No. 1 in B-flat major, Op. 45
Toru Takemitsu: Orion
Brahms: Cello Sonata No.2 in F major Op.99

Saitama Arts Foundation

Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi(Cello)

When Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi won the International Casals Competition in Budapest in 1963, the press called him a musician “whose discovery is comparable to that of David Oistrakh in the Brussels Competition in the 1930s.” Born in Tokyo, Mr. Tsutsumi’s early training with Hideo Saito led him to his debut at the young age of 12 with Tokyo Philharmonic, performing the Saint-Saens concerto. Appearances with Japan’s leading orchestras followed, as did several major prizes, including the Japan’s most prestigious; the Mainichi (Japan) Music Competition.

Audiences have since heard Mr. Tsutsmi’s solo appearances with the ORTF in Paris, the Berlin Radio Symphony, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic, London Symphony, London Philharmonia, the Czech and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, and many others. He has appeared with many great conductors and orchestras such as, Seiji Ozawa and the Toho Gakuen Orchestra at the United Nations; at Avery Fisher Hall with the NHK Symphony; Mustislav Rostropovich and the National Symphony.

He taught the University of Illinois before joining the faculty of Indiana University as Professor of Music in the fall of 1988. He was frequently invited to conduct master classes at places like Talent Education Institute (Japan), Orford Arts Center (Canada), Lyon Conservatoire(France), Banff Centre(Canada) and Holland music session(The Netherlands). He has also been invited as a jury member of prestigious international music competitions such as the Grand Prix Emanuel Feuermann, ARD in Munich, M. Rostropovich in Paris, CBC/SRC in Ottawa, Osaka International in Osaka.
In 2009, he was awarded Japan’s Medal with Purple Ribbon, the highest honor in Japan. He is also a member of the Japan Art Academy since December 2009.

Mr. Tsutsumi has various CD releases with Sony and Meister Music. He is also known as a recipient of the Suntory Award for his contribution to music in Japan and was presented National Academy of Arts Prize in music by the Emperor. In 1997, he was elected the first President of Japan Cello Society, and in 2000 elected Music Director of Kirishima International Music Festival and Director General of Suntory Foundation for ARTS.
He was also elected the President of Suntory Hall in September 2007 and he was the President of Toho Gakuen School of Music for nine years . Now he is also Specially appointed professor, Toho Gakuen School of Music(1976 -), and The visiting professorship at Korea National University of the Arts School of Music(2017-).

Yu Kosuge(Piano)
With her superlative technique, sensitivity of touch and profound understanding of the music she plays, Yu has become one of the world’s most noted young pianists.
Yu Kosuge has been giving recitals and performing with orchestras since early childhood. At the age of nine she made her debut with the Tokyo New City Orchestra. In 1993, she moved to Europe to pursue studies with Karl-Heinz Kammerling in Hannover and Salzburg and in recent years has received great support and inspiration from Andras Schiff.
Yu Kosuge appears at the most important venues in Berlin, Hamburg, Koln, Munich, Vienna, Salzburg, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Zurich, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tokyo, Washington and New York. Her Carnegie Hall debut recital met with outstanding success with critics praising her “acutely poetic sensibility…wit, drama, and effulgent lyricism.”
Recent highlights include performing at the Salzburg Festival with Philippe Herreweghe and Camerata Salzburg, performances in La Roque d’Antheron with Jacek Kaspszyk/Sinfonia Varsovia, the Japanese premiere of Tan Dun’s Piano Concerto ‘Fire’ with the NHK Symphony Orchestra under the baton of the composer in Japan and a tour with the NDR Hannover Radio SO under Eiji Oue. As well as regular performances in Asia with the Singapore Symphony and all the major Japanese orchestras, Yu Kosuge has worked with many of the leading European orchestras including the NDR Symphony Orchestra Hamburg, NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover, Berliner Sinfonie Orchester, Radio-Sinfonie Orchester Frankfurt, Camerata Salzburg, St Petersburg Symphony, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and Radio Symphony Orchestra Finland,. Yu Kosuge has performed with conductors of the stature of Seiji Ozawa, Jun Markl, Philippe Herreweghe, Rudolf Barschai, Alexander Dmitriev, Gerd Albrecht, Lawrence Foster, Sakari Oramo, Christian Arming, Yutaka Sado, Osmo Vanska, Vasili Petrenko and Dennis Russell Davies.
She has been invited to festivals in Rheingau, Schleswig-Holstein, Bremen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Passau, Braunschweig, Kissingen, at the Salzburger Festspiele, Mozartwoche Salzburg, Holland Music Festival, Piano Festival Lille, La Roque d’Antheron piano festival and La Folle Journee de Nantes, France.
In addition to her busy concert schedule in Europe, Yu performs regularly in Japan, where her tours with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Sakari Oramo, Seiji Ozawa and the New Japan Philharmonic inspired rave reviews and great public acclaim.
In September 2009 Sony released Mendelssohn’s First Piano Concerto with Mito Chamber Orchestra/Seiji Ozawa and selections from Songs Without Words. This is her 10th CD, since her first disc featuring the Chopin Etudes (accorded a five-star rating by Fono Forum Magazine). Yu Kosuge’s other recordings on Sony include Liszt’s 12 Etudes d´execution transcendante, Chopin’s Preludes and Nocturne, Mozart’s Piano Concertos, Fantasie and Live at Carnegie Hall. Yu Kosuge’s plans include recording the Beethoven’s 32 Sonatas over the next few years.
Yu Kosuge lives in Munich.