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···Chie Hirai made the fortepiano glow, enticing the audience with finely flowing runs. (Wiener Zeitung)
···Chie Hirai - a distinguished specialist
on this instrument - with not only transparent and pearly playing,
but also with conveying ease and virtuosity without any hint
of vanity. (Oberosterreichische Nachrichten)
···brilliantly playing with a tender fairy-like manner
(Neue Kronenzeitung)
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Chie Hirai began her music studies in Kanagawa (Japan) where she was born.
Besides winning several prizes in both national and semi-international
piano competitions in her teens, she was awarded the third prize at the
38th international fortepiano competition in Bruges in 2001. She also won
the IYAP (International Young Artist's Presentation) in Antwerp (Belgium)
in 2003 and the third prize in Internationaal Van Wassenaer Concours in
2004 as a member of Halcyon Ensemble. Their first CD, Mastery and Admiration, Beethoven and Van Lannoy's quintets for klavier and winds were released
by Passacalle (Belgium) in 2005.
Chie received her bachelor degree on modern piano in the College
Division of Toho Gakuen School of Music. In order to specialize in fortepiano
with Stanley Hoogland at the Royal Conservatory, The Hague (The Netherlands),
she was granted scholarships from the Nuffic Organization and the Agency
for Cultural Affairs of Japan.
She was awarded her Masters with distinction on fortepiano in 2002,
as well as "Nicolai prize" that is given to the most outstanding
student of the year. In addition to her fortepiano specialization Chie
has also broadened her knowledge of keyboard instruments by studying the
harpsichord with Menno van Delft at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam.
In the Mozart-year 2006, she toured with l'Orfeo Baroque Orchester
in Austria and Germany to perform piano concertos by Mozart and his son
Franz Xaver in Brucknerhaus in Linz, Konzerthaus in Vienna etc.
She was also invited by the orchestra Le Cercle de L'harmonie and
performed the concerto for two pianos KV365 with Soo Park in France.
A newly launched fortepiano-cello duo with Hidemi Suzuki, their
first CD (Mendelssohn complete works of fortepiano and cello, Deutsch Harmonia
Mundi) was given the National Art Festival Award by the Agency for Cultural
Affairs of Japan.
Chie has performed in the major early music festivals in Europe
such as the Festival de Musica Antiga de Barcelona (Spain), Festival Oude
Muziek Utrecht (Holland), Académies Musicales Festival in Saintes
(France), The Felicja Blumental International Music Festival (Israel) and
Carinthische Sommer (Austria). Many radio broadcasting and recordings were
made by such as Radio France (Paris, France), ARF (Wien, Austria) etc.
She was an official accompanist in International early music competition in
Bruges in 2005.
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