Profile

























Keiko Abe  Profile

 

Great Musicians have been linked with their instruments throughout the history of music.  We are truly fortunate to be able to hear and experience the artistry of Keiko Abe playing marimba.  Audiences hearing her performance for the first time are often astonished by the modern marimbafs wealth of tonal nuances and by the tremendous scope of Abefs creativity and musicianship.  Keiko Abe has the ability to merge with her marimba: the resulting union produces music with incredible depth of feeling.  She represents a perfect combination of virtuoso technique and passionate artistry.

 

 Keiko Abe has developed her position as a world-class musician thanks to a rare combination of creative power, acute sensitivity and virtuosic technique.  She commands an overwhelming repertoire and appears regularly throughout the world in performances of solo concertos, chamber music, and improvisations.  She is also in demand as a guest lecturer and has given master-classes in leading music conservatories in North America, Central and South America, Europe, and Asia.

 

In addition, she has recorded extensively on the Denon label, and has received numerous awards, including induction into the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame Award.  Keiko Abefs compositions have become some of the standards of marimba literature and can be heard in recitals by marimbists all over the world.  Many modern composers have also dedicated new works to her; she has inspired and premiered countless new compositions.

 

By both pioneering new technical skills and expanding the literature, Keiko Abe has transformed what was once considered a primitive gFolkh instrument into a full-fledged concert instrument welcome in any of the most prestigious concert halls.  In addition to her work as Professor of Marimba at Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo, Abe maintains a full schedule of composing and touring.

 

 

Awards & Activities

 

l      Awarded the Fine Arts Festival Award in 1968, f69, f71, f74, 76 and f89 (Japan)

l      Awarded the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame in 1993 (USA)

l      Composed over 80 pieces

l      Commissioned more than 70 pieces

l      Recorded over 50 titles including CDEDVDEVIDEO

l      Performed over 186 world premiers

l      Master classes and teaching at over 90 Conservatories and universities worldwide

l      Participated in over 50 International Festivals

l      Concerto Soloist with Orchestra – over 200 concerts

l      Solo Concert Artist – over 3000 concerts

l      Chamber Music Performer – over 500 concerts

l      In concert with jazz musicians – over 50 concerts

 

 

™ Special jury at the 1st World Marimba Competition Stuttgart, Germany, 1996

™ Artistic director at the World Festival Osaka, Japan, 1998

™ Chairperson of jury at the 2nd World Marimba Competition Okaya, Japan, 1999

™ Artistic director at the Percussion Festival in Japan Week at Seoul, Korea, 1999

™ Special jury at the 3rd World Marimba Competition Stuttgart, Germany, 2002

™ Special jury at the International Marimba Competition in Paris, 2003

™Honorable Jury at International Marimba Concerto Competition, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2005

™Artistic Director and Jury at the 4th World Marimba Competition, Shanghai, 2005

™ Honorable Jury at the Marimba Competition Belgium 2007

™ Jury at the 56th ARD International Music Competition Munich 2007

™ Honorable Jury at the 5th World Marimba Competition 2008 Stuttgart

 

CURRICULUM VITAE

 

Keiko Abe

 

1952       Began professional career as xylophone soloist for NHK radio.

1957           Began working as freelance marimbist in Tokyo in recording, television

   and radio studios and as extra with orchestra.

1968          Presented the first solo recital of serious classical music for the marimba:

   gKeiko Abe Evening of Marimbah.

       All compositions written for the marimba: includes four world premiers.

       Received the Fine Arts Festival Excellence Award for this concert.

1971     Presented the third solo recital of serious classical music for the marimba:  gKeiko Abe Evening of Marimbah.

All compositions written for the marimba:  includes four world premiers.

      Awarded the Fine Arts Festival Excellence Award for this recital.

1969, f74, f76, f89  Awarded the Fine Arts Festival Excellence Award for recording

1970~1991 Lecuturer of Toho Gakuen College of Music

1977  Began conducting master classes internationally, resulting in more

than 90 appearances worldwide to date.

1977     Began annual concert tours in Europe and U.S.A. including

          1981 Carnegie Hall (big hall), 1984 Concertgebouw Hall,

          1994 Berlin Philharmonie Hall, 2002 Wiener Konzerthaus, Grosser Saal, etc.

1985~1987  Guest Professor at Utrecht University

1987~1997  Annual concert tour series in Japan, featuring international guest artists and music written especially for each tour.

1989~2004  Visiting Professor at Staatliche Hochschle fur Music und Darsteiiende Kunst Stuttgart.

1991~1993 Associate Professor of Toho Gakuen College of Music

1993~2008 Professor of Toho Gakuen College of Music

1993     Elected to the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame.

1996     Member Special Jury at the 1st World Marimba Competition, Stuttgart

1997     Academy Award by Academic Society of Japan for Wind and Band

1998     Artistic/General Director of the World Marimba Festival, Osaka

1999     Artistic/General Director of the Percussion Festival of Japan Week at Seoul, Korea

1999  Chairperson of Jury at the 2nd World Marimba Competition, Okaya

2002  Member Special Jury at the 3rd World Marimba Competition, Stuttgart

2002  Guest Professor at Nagoya College of Music

2003  Member Special Jury at the International Marimba Competition, Paris

2005  Member Honorable Jury at International Marimba Concerto Competition, 

 Ljubljana, Slovenia

2005          Member Board of Directors of the YAMAHA Music Foundation

2005@Artistic Director and member of the Jury at the 4th World Marimba

  Competition 2005, Shanghai

2006~2008  Guest Professor of Shanghai Conservatory of Music

2007  Keiko Abe International Marimba Academy in Belgium

2007  Keiko Abe International Marimba Academy in Hamamatsu

2007  Member Honorable Jury at the Marimba Competition Belgium 2007

2007  Member Jury at the 56th ARD International Music Competition Munich 2007

2008  Guest Professor of Toho Gakuen College Music Department

2008  Art Consultant of Shanghai Percussion Association

2008  Honorable Jury Member of the 5th World Marimba Competition 2008 Stuttgart

2009  Professor Emeritus of Toho Gakuen College Music Department

2009  Geneva International Music Competition    Jury  (Concours de Geneve)



Awards




1968 Fine Arts Festival Award "Keiko Abe Marimba Recital"


1969 Fine Arts Festival Award@ Record Album:"Keiko Abe - Art of Marimba"


1971 Fine Arts Festival Award@ "Keiko Abe Marimba Recital"


1974 Fine Arts Festival Award@ Record Album:The Tokyo Quintet
-The Contemporary Music of Japan-


1976 Fine Arts Festival Award@ Record Album:"Keiko ABe reveals the essence of the Marimba"


1989 Fine Arts Festival Award@ Record Album:"Marimba Spritual"
-Keiko Abe and the world's leading Percussionists-


1993 The Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame


1997 Academy Award by A.S.J.W.P.B.(Academic Society of Japan for Wind Percussion & Band)