YUKO MIFUNE (pf)

Born in Tokyo, pianist Yuko Mifune moved with her family to New York City when she was six years old. In New York, her early studies were with Jerome and Ronit Lowenthal, and at the age of twelve she returned to Japan and continued her studies with virtuoso pianists Akiko Iguchi, Yoko Okumura, and Kazuko Yasukawa.
Ms.Mifune has captured several impressive awards in Japan, including first prize at the prestigious Japan Music Competition along with the Nomura Award, Iguchi Award, and Kawai Award. In addition, she graduated first in her class at Japan's foremost conservatory of music, Toho Gakuen University. She has also had the honor of performing for the Emperor of Japan at the Imperial Palace.
She was awarded a 2 year scholarship from the Japanese Government to attend The Julliard School in NY where she studied under Martin Canin, and the late Samuel Sanders in chamber music.

In May 1991,she made her brilliant US debut (Beethoven pf. concerto No.4) at the Dorothy Chandler Music Pavillion in Los Angeles, winning praise from the L.A.Times for her performance. As first prize winner of the 20th Frinna Awerbuch International Piano Competition held in NY the following year, she performed both at Carnegie Hall and at Lincoln Center. Her playing was also broadcasted throughout the nation by the classical radio station WQXR.
In May of 1992, she won the Julliard Soloist Audition and performed in a highly successful Commemorative Graduation Concert held at Lincoln Center. Thereafter, she returned to Japan and has maintained an active concert schedule since then.

In '96, she was a soloist with the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra and performed at the Tschaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow, followed by their Japan tour. The next year, she has also toured in several cities as the soloist for St.Petersburg Orchestra under the baton of Alexander Dmitriev. In ﾕ01 she was invited to perform at the Seoul International Music Festival with Daejin Kim and Seoul Symphony at the Seoul Arts Center. In summer '07, she went on a tour in New Zealand, giving 5 performances in 3 cities - highly praised by newspaper reviews.

Ms.Mifune is also successful in the media- she had her own radio program in FM-Yokohama for over five yrs. from '95, earning excellent reputation and popularity from the listeners. She was also the host of NHK-BS2 program "Weekly Book Review" for 6 yrs. since '03, interviewing well-known writers and giving reviews of newly published books.

Her beautiful sound and dynamic virtuosity have always inspired many audiences, and has also garnered critical acclaim for her broad repertoire which spans from baroque to contemporary music.

Albums：　 Liszt/ Annees de Pelerinage Deuxieme Annee "Italie",
Liszt/ Mephisto Waltz
"Rhapsody in Blue" (Sony Records)　
"Winged" (King Records)
Barber/ "Piano Works" (Octavia Records)
　　*was awarded "Best Album", "Best Recording" in Record Geijutsu magazine in '09

official HP: http://www.yukomifune.com