Mariko Furukawa, Piano
Japanese pianist Mariko Furukawa began her studies of the piano at the age of five and graduated high school from the Toho Conservatory. While studying in Japan, Mariko won the First prize twice at Piano Teachers National Association Competition(PTNA) in Japan both at the age of twelve and sixteen, resulting in an invitation to the Gina Bachauer tour in the U.S. In 1998, she was First Prize winner in the All Japan Students’ Piano Competition. Since Mariko moved to the states in 2001, she has won numerous awards including the Grand Prize at the annual Mannes Concerto Competition, resulting in a performance with the Mannes Orchestra in Lincoln Center; Grand Prix for excellence in piano performance at the summer festival at American Conservatory in Fontainebleau(France) in 2003; Third Prize at The Chopin competition in Asia, which sent her as a delegate to the International Chopin Competition 2005 in Poland. Her most recent achievements are the First Prize at Dorothey MacKenzie Competition(NY), and Third Prize at Porto International Piano Competition (Portugal). In 2004 her performance of Chopin was broadcast on the Radio as part of the “Young Artist Showcase” at WQXR. Mariko is also an active chamber musician and she has collaborated with such musicians as Charles Neidich, Ayako Oshima, The Orion Quartet, Anthony McGill and Jasmine Choi. She has participated in prestigious music festivals and competitions as an official pianist, such as Aspen Music School and Festival, Perlman Music Program, Kita-Karuizawa Music Festival, and Jacques Lancelot International Clarinet Competition. Mariko obtained her Master's degree from The Juilliard School and BM from Mannes College of Music where her major teachers were Jacob Lateiner and Jerome Rose. She is currently a part-time faculty at SUNY Purchase College.
