Ayako Shirasaki

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Ayako Shirasaki ( Japanese 白 崎 彩 子 , Shirasaki Ayako ; born September 16, 1969 in Setagaya , Tokyo ) is a Japanese pianist , composer of contemporary jazz and music producer .

Live and act

Ayako Shirasaki was considered a jazz prodigy in Japan : as a ten-year-old she was already transcribing Bud Powell's solos and winning competitions such as the Grand Prix of the Asakusa Jazz Competition. Her professional career began at the age of twelve with regular appearances at the “J” Jazz Club in Tokyo , so that she and her special talent were recognized with an article in the Swing Journal . The versatile musician chose classical music as her major at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Musicand performed as a classical pianist a few years after graduating. The love for jazz awakened by her father at the age of five won, however, and so Ayako returned to her first love when she won second prize in the prestigious "First Annual Heineken Jazz" competition in 1995.

In 1997 Ayako chose New York City as the center of her life. Her talent earned her a Masters Scholarship from the Manhattan School of Music , where she was tutored by teachers such as Kenny Barron and Ted Rosenthal, as well as Michael Abene . The pianist played at Blue Note , Birdland , Cobi's Place, Kitano and Dizzy's Jazz Club. She shared the stage with z. B. Marco Panascia , Lewis Nash , Kalil Madi , John Benitez , Steve Kirby , Kengo Nakamura , Kenny Garrett , Clarence Penn , Kit McLure and Harold Ousley .

After Ayako released two self-produced CDs Live in New York with her trio and The Duo Live with vibraphonist Tim Collins in 2002 , the major debut came in August 2003. The CD Existence with Lewis Nash on drums and Marco Panascia on bass came in Japan on the jazz shelves of music stores. Her second major CD, Musically Yours, followed in June 2005. Before the birth of their two children, the solo piano album Home Alone was released in April 2006 . She appeared as a guest in Marian McPartland radio show Piano Jazz 2006 National Public Radio on.

Ayako Shirasaki continued her career in March 2009 with performances at the International Jazz Solo Piano Festival in Munich, Hamburg and Berlin. In February 2010 she founded her own music school (Sakura Music School) in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Her new CD "Falling Leaves - Live in Hamburg", recorded on October 17th, 2009 in the Laeiszhalle - Musikhalle Hamburg, was presented at the Jazz Journalists Association Awards Gala 2010 in New York.

Prizes and awards

  • Mary Lou Williams Women In Jazz Piano Finalist 2005, 2006; Washington, DC, USA
  • Finalist in the “Great American Jazz Piano” competition 2004, 2005, 2006; Jacksonville, Fl., USA
  • 2003 Jazz Aspen Snowmass Emerging Artist Program member; Aspen, Co., USA
  • Second in the 1995 “First Annual Heineken Jazz” competition
  • Asakusa Jazz competition winner; Asakusa , Japan

Discographic notes

  • Falling Leaves - Live in Hamburg (2010)
  • Home Alone (2006)
  • Musically Yours (2005)
  • Existence (2003)
  • Some Other Time (2013), with Noriko Ueda, Quincy Davis

Compilations

  • Best of 1st International Jazz Solo Piano Festival 2009 (2009)
  • An NPR Christmas Collection with Marian McPartland and Friends (2006)
  • NPR Jazz Christmas With Marian McPartland and Friends III (2006)

Web links

swell

  1. ↑ 2010 Jazz Awards. on the Jazz Journalists Association website .
personal data
SURNAME Shirasaki, Ayako
ALTERNATIVE NAMES 白 崎 彩 子 (Japanese)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Japanese jazz pianist
DATE OF BIRTH 16th September 1969
PLACE OF BIRTH Setagaya , Tokyo Prefecture