JUNKO KOBAYASHI
Junko
Kobayashi made her concerto debut with the London Philharmonic Orchestra
at the Festival Hall, London in 1988. Also as a soloist, she has played
with the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra, the Shumen Philharmonic Orchestra,
the Caracas Municipal Symphony Orchestra and the Polish Baltic Orchestra,
amongst others. Junko has performed throughout Great Britain and has played
many recitals at such venues as St. John's Smith Square and the Purcell
Room in London. She has toured in France, Germany, Denmark, Bulgaria, Poland,
USA, Canada, Venezuela, Zambia, Thailand and Japan.
Junko has appeared on ZDF Television in Germany, WKAR Television in the USA, and has broadcast on Radio 3 in the UK. In November last year, prior to her recital at the St John's Smith Square as a part of 'Japan 2001', she gave an interview and live performance for 'In Tune' on BBC Radio 3.
Junko began her musical study in Japan under Professor Asahina. She travelled to Europe and studied with Professor Hellwig at the Folkwang Hochshule in Essen, Germany. On moving to England, where she now resides, she studied with Maria Curcio, Alexander Kelly and Louis Kentner. Her repertoire spans from Scarlatti to contemporary music and she is a founder chairman of the Takemitsu Society where she organizes concerts and lectures to promote and perform music of Toru Takemitsu and other Japanese contemporary composers. She gives lecture recitals on Takemitsu for schools such as The Purcell School and has recorded works by Chopin, Liszt, Bloch, Goldshmidt, Fauré, Haydn, Debussy and Messiaen. While playing chamber music, she has performed with Andras Adorjan, Kalman Berkes, Nigel Kennedy, Peter Sheppard Skaerved, Kyoko Shikata and the Philharmonic Ungarica Woodwind Quintet.