Chihiro Yamanaka
Chihiro Yamanaka ( Japanese 山 中 千尋 , Yamanaka Chihiro ; * in Kiryū , Gunma Prefecture ) is a Japanese jazz pianist .
Live and act
Yamanaka has been playing the piano since she was four and, when she was twelve, won her first great prize in a talent competition in Gunma, Japan . She studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London and continued her studies at Berklee College of Music until 2000. In 2001 she released her debut album in Japan, Living Without Friday . In 2010 Universal Records released Forever Begins , which rose to # 1 on the jazz charts in Japan. She now lives in New York City, where she has performed at Carnegie Hall , the Kennedy Center, and the JVC Jazz Festival New York. She has also given concerts at Umbria Jazz , the Tokyo Jazz Festival and the Vienna Opera.
Awards
While still a student, Yamanaka received an Outstanding Performance Award from the American jazz magazine Down Beat and then emerged victorious in the Sisters in Jazz competition organized by the International Association for Jazz Education . In 2005 she was voted "Best New Artist" by the Japanese Swing Journal . Her album After Hours (2009) won a gold record for best-selling jazz album of the year; 2007's Abyss was named Swing Journal Readers' Album of the Year .
Discography
Albums
- Living Without Friday (Atelier Sawano, 2001)
- When October Goes (Atelier Sawano, 2002)
- Madrigal (Atelier Sawano, 2004)
- Outside by the Swing (Universal, 2005)
- Have a laugh (Universal, 2006)
- Abyss (Universal, 2007)
- After Hours (Universal, 2008)
- Bravogue (Universal, 2008)
- Runnin 'Wild - Tribute To Benny Goodman (Universal, 2009)
- Forever Begins (Universal, 2010)
- Reminiscence (Universal, 2011)
Video albums
- Leaning Forward (Atelier Sawano, 2003)
- Live In Tokyo (Universal, 2007)
- Live in New York (Universal, 2011)
Web links
- Sound carrier by Chihiro Yamanaka in the catalog of the German National Library
- Web presence
- Article (Jazz Echo)
- Portrait at All About Jazz
- Chihiro Yamanaka at Allmusic (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Chihiro Yamanaka: Discography. In: Chihiro Web. Retrieved March 21, 2012 (English / Japanese).
- ↑ Catalog number: UCBJ-1006
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Yamanaka, Chihiro |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | 山 中 千尋 (Japanese) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Japanese jazz pianist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 20th century |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Kiryu , Gunma Prefecture |