AJSW Classical music concert in London:
June 2011

Nao Maebayashi studied with Alexander Kelly, former professor at Royal Academy of Music, before entering Trinity College of Music in 1996.

Nao continued her studies with Douglas Finch, where she was awarded a Bachelor of Music (B.Mus) degree. In 2001, she completed a Master of Music (M.Mus) degree under the guidance of Raphael Torroni at London College of Music. Thereafter, she focused on contemporary piano with Evgenia Chudinovich and Philip Mead. Since then, Nao has won several prizes in music festivals and performed in New Quays Concert, London, hosted by Elena Riu.

Currently Nao teaches at Gordon’s school in Surrey and performs with contemporary ensemble, Metapraxis. She also has her own piano duo and performs regulary with a violinist, Tamaki in the London and Surrey region.

Japanese born violinist and violist, Tamaki Dickenson started violin at the age of seven. She won at the South Japan Music Competition several times. She was invited to study with Lewis Kaplan in New York City, and received both bachelors and masters degrees from Mannes College of Music.

Tamaki formed the award winning Degas Quartet in 2002 , and the quartet appeared in US’s prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, Aspen Music Festival and Library of Congress as well as broadcast on NPR.

Tamaki moved to the UK in 2007 and since then she has been enjoying being involved in many aspects of music, such as teaching, soloist, chamber music and orchestral playing.

Being passionate about education and bringing music to the community, Tamaki organized the outreach project in North Carolina, USA and Kagoshima, Japan.

2) Aisa Ijiri (piano) and Elizabeth McGrath (violin)

22 June 2011, 1:15 to 2:00pm at St. Dunstan-In-The-West

Aisa Ijiri is one of the finest Japanese pianists of her generation, and has been described as: "An exceptionally creative artist, blessed with a vivid performance temperament...Aisa Ijiri possesses innate musicianship which is harnessed to a virtuoso technique." Having performed with renowned orchestras at major venues around the world, Aisa was invited to become a Steinway Artist.

Born in Kyoto, Japan, at the age of 7, Aisa made her first public debut at the Kyoto Alti Hall. At the age of 15, she was a concerto soloist with the Capella Cracoviensis Symphony Orchestra at the Philharmonic Hall, Warsaw and was a recitalist at the Concert House in Stockholm. Since then her performances have taken her to all over Europe the UK and U.S.A. at many important venues including the Tokyo Opera City, Izumi Hall, Biwako Hall, Purcell Room, Steinway Hall, LSO St.Luke's, Sadler's Wells Theatre, Fairfield Hall, Chopin Manor and at many international festivals.

Her concerts have been broadcast on BBC1, PBS television-Malta and FM e-radio in Japan. She has given sensational concerts with the Osaka Century Symphony Orchestra with whom she performed Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No.2 in 2007, Chopin's Concerto No.1 in 2008, and Grieg's Concerto in 2009. Aisa has been invited to perform Mozart Piano Concerto No.21 K.467 with the Cranbrook Symphony Orchestra, also to give a recital for the "Pianists of the World Series" at St.Martin-in-the Fields in 2011.

Aisa has won many competitions and prizes in Japan, 1st prize at the Marlow Music Festival Recital Competition 2005 (highest overall award), Gold Medal at the Marlow International Concerto Competition 2006. She was given a special award for promotion of the arts by the mayor of Shiga, Japan in 2009. Aisa was the winner of the N.A.T/SAKIRA Record competition 2010 and released her debut CD produced by N.A.T Records in 2011 featuring the music of Schumann and Liszt.

Elizabeth McGrath graduated from the Royal College of Music with first class honours, and also gained a B.A. (hons) in Music & Business Studies from Brunel University, where she was awarded the Sheridan Music Prize for the best musician graduate.

Elizabeth started playing piano and violin at the age of 4, eventually progressing to receive a bursary from the Junior Academy of Music and a government-aided scholarship from the Purcell Music School. She played with the National Childrens Orchestra for five years. Since then she has participated in many festivals, masterclasses and courses in Europe and America as well as the UK including playing as a soloist for UNICEF and in many orchestras including the Royal College Opera, RCM Symphony Orchestra, Royal College Sinfonietta, the LP Youth Orchestra, Bowden Festival, Orchestra USA and the Brunel University Orchestra as leader. Elizabeth is currently studying for her masters at the Royal College of Music under the guidance of our Hon. Patron Professor Tomotada Soh.