Rieko Aizawa

Praised by the NY Times for her “impressive musicality, a crisp touch and expressive phrasing”, Japanese pianist RIEKO AIZAWA has performed throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe, including Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall, Boston’s Symphony Hall, Chicago’s Orchestra Hall and Vienna’s Konzerthaus.

On the recommendation of the pianist Mitsuko Uchida, fourteen-year-old Rieko was brought to the attention of esteemed conductor, Alexander Schneider. Mr. Schneider engaged Rieko at the opening concerts of Tokyo’s Casals Hall, and later that year, he presented her in her U.S. début concerts at the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall with his New York String Orchestra. Rieko was the last pupil of Mieczyslaw Horszowski at the Curtis Institute and she also studied with Seymour Lipkin and Peter Serkin at the Juilliard School. Rieko is also an active chamber musician. She has performed as a guest with string quartets such as the Guarneri Quartet and the Orion Quartet, and she has participated in festivals including Marlboro. She is a founding member of Duo Prism with a violinist Jesse Mills, which earned the 1st Prize at the Zinetti International Competition in Italy.

 Rieko’s solo debut recording of Scriabin’s and Shostakovich’s “24 Preludes” was released by Altus in Japan, and her second album, of Messiaen’s and Faure’s preludes was released in 2010