Described as “a natural performer and communicator”,
- Harris Goldsmith, New York Concert Review.
Pianist Yukiko Akagi has been lauded as “a pianist who displays a unique temperament and vitality”
Born in Tokyo, she made her debut in New York’s Carnegie Hall in October 2004, highly praised by the critics. Since then her career has blossomed throughout the United States, performing in some of its most important venues, such as Alice Tully Hall and Merkin Hall at Lincoln Center.
The Columbian hails her as “…a pianist of great presence, who took everyone’s breath away with her superb playing”, and the New York Sun highlights her “gigantic performance” of Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Sonata. Her performances have been recorded and broadcasted by New York’s WQXR, Portland’s KBPS and CVTV, Cleveland’s WCL, Chicago’s WFMT, and Spanish National Television.
Yukiko Akagi has regularly been invited to perform in Spain, appearing in some of the country’s most important venues, such as Palau de la Música Catalana and Palau de la Música de Valencia, Auditorio Miguel Delibes in Valladolid, Teatro Monumental of Madrid or Palacio de Festivales de Cantabria, to name a few.
In addition to having recorded for the Spanish National Television and Radio, she has been a guest soloist with some of the main orchestras, such as Spanish National Orchestra, RTVE Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfònica del Vallès or recently by Baleares Symphony Orchestra and Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León, where she was praised as a “consummated pianist who offered a tremendous interpretation” – El Mundo Cantabria.
Highlights among her honors and awards include the Second prize at Maria Canals International Piano Competition (Barcelona, 2005), Fundación Guerrero International Piano Competition (Madrid, 2006) and First prize at Jose Roca International Piano Competition (Valencia, 2006). She has also been awarded with distinctions such as the Dorothy Mackenzie award from the New York International Keyboard Institute & Festival and the Japan National Piano Teachers Association as well as receiving in 2002 the Artist Grant from the New York Foundation for the Arts.
Yukiko is interested in exploring new repertoires and adding slight new approaches to the essence of the traditional concert experience. Not only she likes to present Japanese comtempory repertoire, She is also active on performing world-premire works, recently performed Ramon Humet’s “El temps i la campana (Time and the bell)” with Spanish National Orchestra.
She earned her Bachelor of Music degree at Toho College of Music in Tokyo under Ms. Nobuko Amada, her Master of Music Degree at Mannes College of Music under Mr. Jerome Rose and her Professional Studies Certificate at Manhattan School of Music under Mr. Solomon Mikowsky. She has also been mentored by such distinguished pianists as Earl Wild, György Sándor, Menahem Pressler and Ruth Slenczynska, a pupil of the legendary Sergei Rachmaninoff.
She has been a Jury member of Lyra Music Festival Competition, New York Young Artists Competition and 68th edition of Maria Canals International Piano Competition.
She now makes her home in Barcelona.