Yuriko Kuronuma
Violinist, Founder and Director
Born in Tokyo, where she became familiar with music since her earliest childhood, she was awarded at the age of 11 the First Prize of the National Student Contest as a child violinist; five years later she won the First Prize and Special Award in the Japan Music Contest. In Europe, she received individual classes from the Maestros David Oistrakh and Henryk Szeryng, and graduated with honors from the Musical Arts Academy of Prague, Czech Republic.
She made her debut as a soloist in Japan with the NHK Symphony in 1957; in Europe with the Prague Symphony FOK in the International Festival “Prague Spring” in 1962 and in the United States with Chicago Symphony in 1970. In Mexico, she made her first appearance with the National Symphony in 1968 – during the Cultural Olympiad – under the baton of Maestro Carlos Chávez.
As a renowned professional violinist she has had an international career which spans Asia, Europe (including the former Soviet Union), North America, Central America and South America, performing as a soloist with leading orchestras under the baton of S. Comissiona, M. Inoue, H. Iwaki, A. Kantorov, K. Komatsu, E. Kurtz, M. Jansons, J. Maksymiuk, K. Masur, V. Neumann, L. Pesek, C. Riazuelo, G. Rozhdestvensky, R. Saglimbeni, J. Sarmientos, M. Shostakovich, L. Slovak, Y. Toyama, V. Valek, H. Wakasugi, A. Wit, among others.
In Mexicoshe has appeared many times as a soloist with orchestras such as the National Symphony, the Mexico City Philharmonic, the UNAM Philharmonic, the Carlos Chavez Symphony, the State of Mexico Symphony, the Xalapa Symphony, the Guadalajara Symphony and the Bellas Artes Chamber Orchestra among others, conducted by E. Bátiz, C. Chávez, E. Diemeque, E. Diazmuñoz, L. Herrera de la Fuente, F. Lozano, E. Mata, J. Mester and F. Savin, among others.
Photo: Yuriko Kuronuma with Jozef Olechoweski. (2006).In 1980 she founded the Academia Yuriko Kuronuma, A. C. in Mexico City, where she has worked since then as Director, bringing up with her associates new generations of violinists in Mexico.
In 1986, she was awarded the Aguila Azteca decoration from the Government of Mexico – the highest honor for foreigners - and in 1993 received the Special Prize from the Japan Foundation, the cultural organization of the Japanese Government.
She has recorded more than 20 LPs and CDs. Among her most recent recordings is a CD titled “Between Two Centuries – Mexican Music” (Quindecim Recordings) where she performs 10 works for violin and piano with the pianist Jozef Olechowski.
Emperor Akihito, Empress Michiko and the Crown Prince of the Japanese Imperial Family have honored her with their admiration and their friendship.
Yuriko Kuronuma is also well known in Japan as an essayist through her published books such as “Agitato, ma non troppo”, “Letters from Mexico”, “The Splendor of Mexico”, “Antonin Dvorak”, “The Violin and Love are Invincible” and others. Additionally she frequently publishes essays in newspapers and magazines.
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Academia Yuriko Kuronuma A.C. Violin, viola & violoncello individual lessons.
Presidente Carranza #52-7, Coyoacán. México, D.F. Tel/Fax. (5255) 5554 7750
