Yoshikazu Jumei
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Yoshikazu JumeiYoshikazu Jumei's prodigious musical talent was discovered when he was very young. At the age of eight, he was featured in a TV programe broadcast nationwide on Japan's station NHK. He won third prize at "Student Music Concours of Japan" (1984), and during high school became the youngest finalist at "The Music Competition of Japan" (1987), the competition which is publicly recognized as the gateway to becoming a successful musician. He graduated top of the class at High School in Japan.
In 1991, while attending the Hochschule der Künste Berlin (Berlin University of the Arts), Yoshikazu Jumei was awarded 3rd prize at the 40th ARD International Music Competition in Munich, and shortlisted for solo finalist at the Busoni International Competition. He graduated from both the Hochschule der Künste Berlin and International Piano Academy of Imola in Italy, where he studied with Klaus Hellwig, Boris Petrushansky and Leonid Margarius.
Yoshikazu Jumei launched his professional career in Europe, performing as soloist and in recital at many of the major music festivals; recording and featuring in a live programme on SFB, Berlin's Freedom Broadcasting. The major orchestras he has performed with both in Europe and Japan include the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra Berlin, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, New Japan Philharmonic and the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra.
Yoshikazu Jumei has received critical acclaim for his performances, "...Like a colossal picture ...with astonishing technique" (Lausitzer Rundschau, Germany). And his recital in 2008 at Hamarikyu Asahi Hall in Tokyo was ranked as one of the top ten best concerts of the year by the popular music magazine in Japan called "Ongaku no Tomo" (Musical Friends). He has also featured in the culture section of "Mainichi Newspaper", one of the biggest national newspapers in Japan, and in the article written by Tokihiko Umezu with the headline "Construing Concerts; Schumann by Yoshikazu Jumei, and Andreas Staier's New Interpretation of Underlying Grief". This was also included in his book entitled "Instruments of Vermeer" published a year later.
Recent activities include performances at the Yokohama International Piano Gala Concert, and an appearance on the TV programme "Pianopia" aired on the national broadcasting NHK BS. He also received critical acclaim for his recital in 2011 at Tokyo Bunka Kaikan "... a superb pianist with an extraordinary musical flair" (Musicanova Magazine, April 2012), and for his recital in 2013 at Wigmore Hall in London for Canon sponsored tsunami benefit concert organized in association with the British Red Cross "...the shading and ornamentation were handled with such grace and charm that one could at last see why this man is such a big pianistic voice in his native Japan....had come out as an entertainer." (By Michael Church, the Independent, February 2013) "...was notable for somewhat unstated underlying pulse, betokening an uncommonly thoughtful and penetrating mind...a very fine performance to end a memorable recital." (By Alexander Leonard, MUSICAL Opinion Magazine, May June 2013)
Yoshikazu Jumei has served on the juries of many Competitions including "Student Music Concours of Japan" devoted to educating young musicians, and was instrumental in the training of those who won the first prizes at "Tokyo Music Competition" and "PTNA Piano Competition"
Genre: ClassicActive area: Tokyo
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