YU HORIUCHI - biography

Since making her debut as soloist under the baton of Lord Yehudi Menuhin, at the age of 16, Yu Horiuchi has enchanted audiences around the world with her elegant pianism, passionate temperament, and incisive musicianship. An exotic mix of “Far East meets West”; born in Japan, early childhood in Germany, educated in England, degrees from the USA, and, inheritance of the great traditions of piano-playing from Russia and Germany, Miss Horiuchi has performed throughout Europe, Asia and the United States, as soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician.

It was in Hamburg, Germany, where she began her musical journey winning top prizes at the Steinway Piano Competition and the “Jugend Musiziert” Awards.
At the age of 14, Ms Horiuchi won a place at the prestigious Yehudi Menuhin School in England, where she studied with Seta Tanyel, and Nikolai Demidenko. The British Government awarded her a scholarship to continue her studies at the Royal College of Music. During her three years there, she earned her Bachelor of Music Degree and the coveted “Exhibition Award”. Thereafter, she completed her studies receiving her Master of Music Degree from The Juilliard School in New York, where she studied with Jacob Lateiner.

Yu Horiuchi has made numerous television and radio appearances in Europe and Japan, has been invited to renowned international festivals such as Gstaad, Oxford, and Silvestri, and has played at venues such as Royal Festival Hall, St. John’s Smith Square, St.James’s Palace, where she performed in honour of the British Royal Family, Lincoln Center, Suntory Hall, and Tokyo Opera City.
Miss Horiuchi, inspired greatly by the philosophy of her mentor, Yehudi Menuhin, also places special emphasis on bringing music to audiences in less conventional venues and less privileged circumstances. In addition, she has devised her own concert series in which she brings music to a wider public through her eloquent and witty conversations with the audience, and colourful repertoire.
She lives in Vienna and recently released her latest Solo-CD, which was recorded at the Wiener Konzerthaus on the legendary “Rubinstein Steinway”.