Aki Takahashi
Aki Takahashi made her public debut shortly after graduating from the Tokyo University of Arts with a masters degree in 1970. While acknowledged for her classical musicianship, her enthusiasm and acclaim as a new music interpreter have attracted the attention of many composers. Cage, Feldman, Takemitsu, Yun, Oliveros, Ruders, Satoh, Lucier and Garland, to name a few, have all created works for her.
Ms. Takahashi received the first Kenzo Nakajima prize in 1982, and was recipient of the first Kyoto Music Award (1986). She directed the “New Ears” concert series in Yokohama (1983-97), was artist-in-residence at SUNY Buffalo (1980-81) and guest professor at the California Institute of the Arts (1984).
Her landmark recording of 20 contemporary piano works, Aki Takahashi Piano Space, received the Merit Prize at the Japan Art Festival (1973). Her series of Erik Satie concerts (1975-77) heralded a Satie boom in Japan, resulting in her editing all of his piano works for Zen-On and recording them on Toshiba-EMI. She created the Hyper-Beatles project with Toshiba, which invited 47 international composers to arrange/recompose their favorite Beatles tunes.
Luciano BERIO: Sequenza IV (on the “Complete Sequenzas, Alternate Sequenzas, and Works for Solo Instruments”). Mode 161/63 (4-CDs)
Morton FELDMAN: Vol.1: Piano works played by Aki Takahashi (mode 54)
Morton FELDMAN: Vol. 10: Trio - Aki Takahashi, piano. Marc Sabat, violin. Rohan de Saram, cello. Mode 216 (2-CDs or single DVD)
Morton FELDMAN: For Bunita Marcus (mode 314)
Peter GARLAND: Another Sunrise (mode 110)
Barbara Monk FELDMAN: In the Small Time of a Desert Flower (mode 244)
Giacinto SCELSI: The Piano Works 3 (mode 159, CD or DVD)
Iannis XENAKIS: Complete Works for Piano Solo (mode 80)
Iannis XENAKIS: Works with Piano (mode 217, CD or DVD)
John CAGE: The Works for Piano 11 (mode 327, CD)