Takayoshi Wanami
 Born
in Tokyo in 1945. Takayoshi Wanami began to play the violin at the age
of four and went on to study with Kichinosuke Tsuji,Saburo Sumi and Toshiya
Eto. Later, he continued his studies in Europe under Joseph Szigeti,
David Oistrakh, Sergio Lorenzi,Riccardo Brengola and Sandor Vegh.
Wanami made his orchestral debut in Tokyo in 1963 with the Japan Philharmonic
Orchestra and the following year, toured the USA as soloist of the Toho
Conservatory String Orchestra. He was awarded prizes in the Long-Thibaud
International Competition in Paris in 1965, the Carl Flesch International
Competition in London in 1970 and received the Ysaye Medal from the Ysaye
Foundation in Brussels.
Wanami has performed with many renowned orchestras such as the Leipzig
Gewandhaus, the Philharmonia, City of Birmingham Symphony, BBC Philharmonic,
BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Boston Pops, Festival Strings Lucerne,
Zurich Chamber, Slovak Chamber, London Mozart Players and the Academy
of St. Martin in the Fields, as well as with all the major orchestras
in Japan. Conductors with whom he has collaborated include Rudolf Barshai,
Gary Bertini, Harry Blech,Raphael Fruhbeck de Burgos, Sir Neville Marriner,
Kurt Masur,Tadaaki Otaka and Seiji Ozawa.
Takayoshi Wanami has recorded for Chandos the Tchaikovsky, Bruch and
Mendelssohn Concertos with the Philharmonia Orchestra under Anatole Fistoulari,
and Bach Concertos with the London Mozart Players under Harry Blech and
the oboist Leon Goossens. His recording for Pickwick of the Brahms and
Schumann violin concertos with the London Philharmonic, conducted by
Adrian Leaper, led the Gramophone to note: "It says much for the
brilliance and concentration of the Japanese violinist, Takayoshi Wanami
in the Brahms that, even in direct comparison with Perlman, his claims
are still impressive."
His other recordings include all the solo violin Sonatas and Partitas
by J. S. Bach, six Solo Sonatas by Ysaye, nine contemporary Japanese
works (both of which received Superior Prizes in the Japan Arts Festival),
a live recording of his 50th birthday concert in Tokyo in 1995, and three
Brahms Sonatas with Mineko Tsuchiya. Recently,his new album of 15 favourite
violin pieces entitled "Schoen Rosmarin", and the live recording
of Schubert's chamber works have been released in Japan.
In addition to a busy concert schedule, Wanami spends considerable time
teaching at the Toho Conservatory in Tokyo and at his annual summer music
course in Yatsugatake. Since 1991, he has been directing his own string
orchestra, Izumigoh Festival Orchestra.
In Britain, he has given master-classes at the Royal Northern College
of Music in Manchester, and at the Purcell School.
For his outstanding achievements and remarkable contribution to classical
music in Japan, Takayoshi Wanami received the Mobil Music Award in 1993
and the Suntory Music Award in 1995.
Future engagements include further recitals and concerto performances
in Japan as well as a tour to Hungary in October. In April/May 1998,he
will be giving a series of three recitals in the South Bank Centre's
Purcell Room comprising solo violin works by Bach and Ysaye.
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