Atsuko Seta

Atsuko Seta (瀬田　敦子 Seta Atsuko) (born 1955 in Osaka[1][2][3]) is a Japanese classical pianist. She is particularly successful in Poland, especially in the southwest of the country, regularly performing with the Sudeten Philharmonic Orchestra in Walbrzych and in her native Japan and in Bulgaria.[3][4]

Life

In 1977 she graduated from the Department of Music, Piano Course, Osaka Kyoiku University. In 1978, she completed a Postgraduate Course, starting her career as a pianist, mentored by Argentine pianist Eduardo Delgado. She also studied at the International Academy Friedrich Wilhelm Schnurre in Sion, Switzerland in 1991 and has performed concertos in the country.[3][5]

In 1996, Seta won the Top prize of the Masterplayers International Music Competition in Italy and completed a master course in Flaine International Music Academy in France, also studying at the Kyoto France Music Academy.[3] Since 1997, she has performed in Europe every year, especially piano concertos, with the Sudeten Philharmonic in Poland.[1][3]

In 2003, Atsuko Seta received the Music Critic Club Prize, which is given to the most active musician in West Japan.[2] In 2004, she received the IBLA Grand Prize Ginastera Special Award in Italy.[1] In 2003 and 2004, she began performing piano concertos with the Lebanese National Symphony Orchestra, the first Japanese pianist to do so.[2] On December 10, 2004 she performed Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No.2 with the orchestra.[4] Just days later she gave recitals in Italy, Ecce Homo Church in Ragusa (December 14), Santa Teresa Church in Scicli (December 15) and at the Mercedari Palace in Modica (December 18).[4]

In 2004 and 2005, Seta mostly performed at concerts for charity or peace in her native Japan, including a memorial concert in Osaka on January 16, 2005, marking 10 years since the Great Hanshin earthquake.[4] In April 2005 she visited the United States, performing in Los Angeles and New York City, giving Ginastera recitals at the Yamaha Center on April 10 and at Carnegie Hall and New York University on April 11 during which she performed Ginastera Sonata No.1 amongst others.[4] In May 2005, Seta also performed with the Sudeten Philharmonic, during which she recited Mendelssohn - Trio I op. 39, Brahms - Trio III op. 87 and Ravel Piano Concerto G-Dur.[4]

On September 29, 2006, Seta performed Ginastera's Piano Concerto No.1 with the Sudeten Philharmonic in Walbrzych. Then, in November 2006, she gave a series of concerts with Italian accordionist Gino Carbonaro in Osaka and Kobe.[4] At Christmas 2006, Seta gave special Christmas concert solo recitals, entitled "All Liszt Program" at the Sogakudo Hall in Tokyo and at the Takarazuka Vega Hall in Hyogo.[4] On July 27, 2007 she performed Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata 3rd Movement and on September 28, 2007 she performed his Für Elise. Between October 26 and October 30, 2007 she performed at the National Philharmonic in Warsaw, Poland as part of the Japanese week.[6]

On January 19, 2008. Seta performed in a memorial concert for Princess Galyani in Chiang Mai. After solo recitals in late June at the Sun Heart Music Hall and Nagahama Hall in Yokohama, Constanze House in Gifu and a Salon Concert at the Singapore Embassy in Tokyo, she went to Bulgaria in November, 2008.[4] There she performed a Khachaturian Piano Concerto with the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra on November 20, completed a Master Course at the Bulgaria National Music Academy the following day and reperformed the Khachaturian Piano Concerto on November 25 with the Stara Zagora Opera Philharmonic Orchestra in Stara Zagora Opera Hall.[4] She gave a more private recital on November 27, 2008 at the Bulgaria Japanese Ambassador's residence.[4]

On February 21, 2009, Seta performed a Piano Trio in Poland with Danuta Organisciuk and Wlodek Zylin, reciting Brahms C-Dur. A day later, she gave a solo recital in the town of Kudowa-Zdrój.[4] Between May 22 and 24, 2009, she performed at the Garibaldi Theatre in Ragusa, Italy.[4] On June 3, she performed with the Veliko Tarnovo Philharmonic Orchestra in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria.[4] On November 21, 2009, Seta performed with the Chiang Mai Philharmonic Orchestra.[4] In 2010, she has mostly performed in her native Japan, in Kyoto, Osaka and Tokyo.[4] On May 21, 2010 she is scheduled to play Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23 with the Sudeten Philharmonic in Walbrzych, Poland.[4]

Style

A virtuoso, Seta is noted for her recitals of Beethoven, Chopin and Liszt and also Argentine composer Ginastera and Brahms. She is also well noted for her piano concertos performed with orchestras, particularly by composers such as Khachaturian, Ginastera and Rachmaninov, and has also performed concertos by Grieg and Tchaikovsky.[7] Seta resides in Thailand and in February 2010 performed recitals of Chopin at Chopin's Anniversary concert.[1] Seta also plays Japanese music and has performed the shamisen style music which originated from northern Japan during the aftermath of World War II. She has arranged many pieces in this style for piano. As a player she is fluid and noted in particular for her excellent control of dynamics, which enables her to perform this style effectively using sharp staccato, emulating the percussive sound of bachi against the strings of the shamisen in this musical style.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Chopin's Anniversary concert". 'Bangkok Post. February 19, 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 "Profile". Page.sannet.ne.jp. Retrieved May 1, 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Atsuko Seta" (in Polish). Filharmonia Sudecka. Retrieved May 1, 2010.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 "Concerts". Page.sannet.ne.jp. Retrieved May 1, 2010.
  5. ↑ SETA Atsuko, (Japanese)
  6. ↑ "Japan Week 2007" (in Polish). Independent. Retrieved April 30, 2010.
  7. ↑ "Atsuko Seta Video Library". Page.sannet.ne.jp. Retrieved May 1, 2010.

External links

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