Asaoka, Sayaka
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Last updated：November 14, 2012
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Formerly Sayaka Matsumoto. She began playing the piano at the age of three and has won numerous awards, including First Prize nationwide at the All Japan Student Music Competition and the Grand Prix (1st Prize) in the advanced concerto division of the PTNA Piano Competition National Finals. She was the first piano student in the history of Toho Gakuen School of Music to complete the Soloist Diploma Course, the institution's most challenging program. Concurrently, she graduated from International Christian University (ICU) with a degree in International Relations. In 2005, she moved to the UK and graduated with First Class Honours from the Royal Academy of Music, London. She was awarded the DipRAM, a prestigious distinction granted to performers of the highest caliber, and received the Vice Principal’s Special Award for her final recital, which featured a complete performance of all nine pieces from Rachmaninoff's Études-Tableaux, Op. 39.
While primarily performing Rachmaninoff's compositions across Europe, she also pursued studies in composition and improvisation in London. Currently, she is actively engaged in composing and performing her original works. Furthermore, she undertakes the unique endeavor of arranging Rachmaninoff's concertos and symphonies, which have rarely been performed as piano solos, for solo piano. In 2012, she released two albums consisting entirely of original piano solo compositions: Morning Star ~Akatsuki~ and Midnight Sun ~Yuzakura~. She has also extensively composed and performed music for films and commercials, including the 2013 film Sansan (directed by Bunji Toyama, starring Kazuko Yoshiyuki and Akira Takarada), which was an official selection of the 38th Montreal World Film Festival.
Sayaka Asaoka Official Website: http://sayakaasaoka.com
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Works(17)
Piano Solo
Various works (16)