Mitsuko Uchida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mitsuko Uchida
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| 内田光子 | |
Uchida with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, 2016
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| Born | 20 December 1948 Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
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| Occupation | Classical pianist, conductor |
| Years active | 1972–present |
| Title | Co-artistic director of the Marlboro Music School and Festival (with Jonathan Biss) |
| Partner(s) | Robert Cooper |
Dame Mitsuko Uchida (内田光子, [ɯtɕida miꜜtsɯ̥ko]; born 20 December 1948) is a famous Japanese-English classical pianist and conductor. She was born in Japan and later became a citizen of England. She is especially known for how she plays the music of Mozart and Schubert.
Mitsuko Uchida has performed with many top orchestras. She has recorded a wide range of music and won many awards. These include being named a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2009. She is also a co-artistic director of the Marlboro Music School and Festival. She has even conducted several major orchestras herself.
Contents
Life and Music Journey
Early Life and Training
Mitsuko Uchida was born in Atami, a town by the sea in Japan, on December 20, 1948. When she was 12, her family moved to Vienna, Austria. Her father became the Japanese ambassador there. Mitsuko was the youngest of three children.
She started studying music at the Vienna Academy of Music. Her teachers included Richard Hauser, Wilhelm Kempff, and Stefan Askenase. At just 14 years old, she gave her first concert in Vienna. She also studied with Maria Curcio, a special student of the famous pianist Artur Schnabel. When her father moved back to Japan, Mitsuko stayed in Vienna to continue her studies.
Winning Competitions
Mitsuko Uchida entered several important music competitions. In 1968, she won tenth prize at the Queen Elisabeth Competition. The next year, in 1969, she won first prize at the International Beethoven Piano Competition in Vienna. In 1970, she earned second prize at the VIII International Chopin Piano Competition. She also won second prize at the Leeds Piano Competition in 1975. These wins helped her become known in the music world.
Her Famous Music Interpretations
Mitsuko Uchida is highly praised for her performances of music by many great composers. These include Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Debussy, and Schoenberg.
She recorded all of Mozart's piano sonatas, which are pieces for solo piano. This project won a Gramophone Award in 1989. She also recorded all of Mozart's piano concertos, where she played with the English Chamber Orchestra. Her recording of Schoenberg's Piano Concerto also won a Gramophone Award. She is also known for her recordings of Beethoven's piano concertos and Schubert's piano music.
Conducting and Collaborations
Mitsuko Uchida is not only a pianist but also a conductor. In 2011, she won a Grammy Award for her recording of Mozart's Piano Concertos Nos. 23 and 24. For this recording, she played the solo piano part and also conducted the Cleveland Orchestra. This was the start of a new project to record all of Mozart's piano concertos again, with her conducting from the piano.
From 2002 to 2007, she was an "artist-in-residence" with the Cleveland Orchestra. This meant she worked closely with them, leading performances of all Mozart's solo piano concertos. In 2010, she was also an artist-in-residence for the Berlin Philharmonic.
She has been involved with the Marlboro Music School and Festival for many years. She became a member of its artistic committee in 1994. Since 1999, she has been one of the artistic directors, helping to guide the festival.
Mitsuko Uchida is also a founder of the Borletti-Buitoni Trust. This organization helps young musicians start and grow their careers around the world.
Recent Achievements
In May 2012, the Royal Philharmonic Society gave her their Gold Medal. This is one of the highest honors in classical music. Other famous musicians like Johannes Brahms and Igor Stravinsky have also received this award.
Her 2022 recording of Beethoven's Diabelli Variations was nominated for a Grammy Award. It also won a Gramophone Piano Award. In 2024, she was named an Honorary Academic of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia.
Honours and Awards
- 1986: Suntory Music Award
- 1989: Gramophone Award for Best Instrumental Recording (Mozart Piano Sonatas)
- 2001: Appointed Honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
- 2001: Gramophone Award for Best Concerto Recording (Schoenberg Piano Concerto)
- 2003: Elected an international member of the American Philosophical Society
- 2008: BBC Music Magazine awards for Instrumentalist of the Year and Disc of the Year
- 2009: Promoted to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE)
- 2009: Awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree by the University of Oxford
- 2011: Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with orchestra) (Mozart Piano Concerti No. 23 and No. 24)
- 2012: Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal
- 2015: Gold Medal of the Foundation of the Mozarteum University of Salzburg
- 2015: Praemium Imperiale, awarded by the imperial family of Japan
- 2017: Grammy Award for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album (as accompanist)
- 2022: Gramophone Classical Music Awards – Piano Category (Beethoven Diabelli Variations)
- 2024: Honorary Academic of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
See also
In Spanish: Mitsuko Uchida para niños
