Collaborators
haruko motohashi -violin
Commissions
Biography
First Prize winner of the 2004 YBP International Music Competition and 2000 Wakayama Music Competition in Japan, the violinist Haruko Motohashi has been promoted by the International Artists Association of Japan to perform concerts and recitals in Tokyo Opera City Recital Hall, Sumida Triphony Hall, as well as Suntory Hall.
Haruko was awarded the 3rd Prize in the JILA Music Competition, a special merit medal at the Japan/China Music Competition, and another special medal from the International Artists Association of Japan, which has also selected her as a new face on their concert scheme. She was selected as a finalist of David Martin/Florence Hooton Concerto Prize in 2002, the Wilfred Parry Prize at the RAM in 2003, and in 2004 she was one of the few contestants selected to take part in the “Premio Paganini 50th International Violin Competition” in Genoa, Italy. In 2006, she was selected as semi-finalists of Junesses Musicales International competition in Belgrade, Serbia. She has also performed as a soloist in the Pacific Music Festival in 1997.
Her recent concerts have included performances, at the Snape Maltings Concert Hall as part of the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme, New Music New Media, solo recitals at Bristol Cathedral, Oxford Wolfson College and gives many performances throughout the UK, Europe and Japan, most recently at the Duke’s Hall, David Josefowitz Recital Hall (Royal Academy of Music, London) and at the London Depford Council Chamber (Goldsmiths College, London).
In her commitment to contemporary music, Haruko has worked with many of today’s most important composers and works regularly with today’s leading young composers, having premiered David Owen’s new Violin Concerto with the Goldsmiths College Orchestra, conducted by Roger Redgatge in February 2008, also premiered a few new works written especially for her. She was invited to take a part of “2007 Contemporary Performance and Composition” (Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme), directed by Oliver Knussen, Collin Matthews, and Magnus Lindberg.
Haruko began studying the violin under the Suzuki method at the age of two, in her native city of Tokyo. Later, she studied with Takashi Shimizu at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, and over the years she has also performed in Master Classes with Yfrah Neaman, Igor Oistrakh, Valeri Oistrakh, Mincho Mintchev, Eduard Schmieder, Masao Kawasaki, Toru Yasunaga and Koichiro Harada.
Haruko finished her studies at the Goldsmiths College, University of London(studying with Darragh Morgan) in September 2007, received MMus Masters in Music, specialising in New Music, and in June 2005, received Postgraduate Diploma with Distinction DipRAM (for an outstanding final recital) from the Royal Academy of Music, London(studying with Hu Kun / Remus Azoitei) also holds BMus Bachelor Degree 1st class distinction from the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music(studying with Takashi Shimizu).
She is now giving recitals throughout the UK with her regular Pianist, Masachi Nishiyama and has recently joined the Tudor Orchestra as leader and the Helios Chamber orchestra as guest leader. She also became the fellowship member of the Orchestra Europa since March 2010. haruko motohashi