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 marimbafs wealth of tonal nuances and by the tremendous scope of Abefs 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 Abefs 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 gFolkh 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 CDEDVDEVIDEO
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
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
Marimbah.
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 Marimbah.
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
1977 Began conducting master classes
internationally, resulting in more
than 90 appearances worldwide to date.
1977
Began
annual concert tours in Europe and
1981 Carnegie Hall (big hall), 1984 Concertgebouw Hall,
1994 Berlin Philharmonie Hall, 2002 Wiener Konzerthaus, Grosser Saal,
etc.
1985~1987 Guest Professor at
1987~1997 Annual concert tour series in
1989~2004 Visiting Professor at Staatliche
Hochschle fur Music und Darsteiiende Kunst Stuttgart.
1991~1993 Associate Professor
of
1993~2008 Professor of
1993
Elected
to the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame.
1996
Member
Special Jury at the 1st World Marimba Competition,
1997
Academy
Award by Academic Society of
1998
Artistic/General
Director of the World Marimba Festival,
1999
Artistic/General
Director of the Percussion Festival of
1999 Chairperson
of Jury at the 2nd World Marimba Competition, Okaya
2002 Member Special Jury at the 3rd
World Marimba Competition,
2002 Guest Professor at
2003 Member Special Jury at the International
Marimba Competition,
2005 Member Honorable Jury at International
Marimba Concerto Competition,
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,
2006~2008 Guest Professor of Shanghai Conservatory
of Music
2007
2007
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
2008 Honorable Jury Member of the 5th
World Marimba Competition 2008
2009 Professor Emeritus of Toho Gakuen
College Music Department
2009 Geneva International Music
Competition Jury (Concours de Geneve)
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) |