Yu Kosuge

Born in Tokyo in 1983, Yu Kosuge has been giving recitals and performing with orchestras since the age of nine. In 1993, she moved to Europe to pursue studies with Karl-Heinz Kämmerling in Hannover and Salzburg, and in recent years has received great support and inspiration from András Schiff.

With her superlative technique, sensitivity of touch, and profound understanding of the music she plays, she has become one of the most noted young pianists in the world; and is one of very few artists to establish a highly successful international career without winning a major competition.

Ms. Kosuge performs more than 40 concerts a year and her Carnegie Hall debut recital in November 2005 met with outstanding success with critical praise.

Ms. Kosuge has worked with many of the leading European orchestras including the NDR Symphony Orchestra Hamburg, NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover, Berliner Sinfonie Orchester, Radio-Sinfonie Orchester Frankfurt, St. Petersburg Symphony, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, and Radio Symphony Orchestra Finland.

In addition to her busy concert schedule in Europe, Ms. Kosuge performs regularly in Japan, where her recent tours with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Sakari Oramo, and Seiji Ozawa and the New Japan Philharmonic inspired rave reviews and great public acclaim.

Ms. Kosuge has released nine CDs and received a five-star rating by the leading German music criticism magazine, Fono Forum. Since 2003, Ms. Kosuge has also recorded exclusively on the SONY label.

Known for her warm personality and humor, her first book Jõnetsu no Cadenza, recalling the path she took to a career in music as well as humorous incidents from her concert life, was published in Japan in September 2005.

Amongst numerous awards, she has received the 13th Nippon Steel Music Award 2002, the Washington Award 2004 in the US, the New Generation Prize of the German Radio, and the 17th Idemitsu Music Award 2007.