Kyoko Takezawa – Jury / 2016

She has performed as soloist with such prominent ensembles as the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony, the Chicago Symphony, and the symphony orchestras of San Francisco, Cleveland, Baltimore, and others. Abroad, she has been heard with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, the London Symphony, the Tonhalle Orchestra of Zurich, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Dresden Staatskapelle, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. She has collaborated with many distinguished conductors and at major venues around the world.

A highly accomplished chamber music performer, Ms. Takezawa has participated in the Grand Teton Music Festival, the Aspen Music Festival, Great Mountain Music Festival in Korea, La Jolla Music Festival, and others. She has collaborated with the late Isaac Stern, Yo-Yo Ma, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Joseph Suk, Pinchas Zukerman and many other distinguished artists.

Ms. Takezawa began violin studies at the age of 3 and at 7 toured the United States, Canada and Switzerland as a member of the Suzuki Method Association. In 1982 she placed first in the 51st Annual Japan Music Competition, and at 17 she entered the Aspen Music School to study with Dorothy DeLay, with whom Ms. Takezawa continued to study at The Juilliard School until graduating in 1989. In 1986 she was awarded the Gold Medal at the Second Quadrennial International Violin Competition of Indianapolis. Most recently, she received the prestigious Idemitsu Award for outstanding musicianship.