Pianoduo Deu'or: Yoshie & Takashi (Piano Duo)
Yoshie Shiramizu & Takashi Fujii (Pianos)*

Yoshie Shiramizu
Born: Hyogo, Japan

The Japanese pianist, Yoshie Shiramizu, studied firstly at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and. She she continued her studies from 2000 at the Staatliche Hochschule fuer Musik und Darstellende Kunst Mannheim, Germany with Professor Robert Benz (piano and piano duo) and Prof. Paul Dan (piano duo). She completed postgraduate studies with the best mark in 2002, her „Konzertexamen” in 2004 and finished postgraduate studies for piano duo as well in 2006. “The marvelous Pianist Yoshie Shiramizu” (the Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung) won Grand Prix in the Music Competition for High school Student in Hyogo, the second prize in the National Student Music Competition in Japan. Likewise the first prize in the Concorso Internazionale di Musica Citta di Racconigi in Italy, the second prize (no the first prize) both in the Beethoven Piano Competition Richard Laugs in Germany and in the Premio Chopin Concorso Internazionale di Musicale in Italy. 2002 in Lucerne Festival she was invited as a scholar to the master course with Professor Pierre-Laurent Aimard, and won in the course with Professor Volker Banfield for outstanding achievements with the Ostfriesischer Piano Prize 2002. In the year 2004 she was accepted as a scholar of “The Chopin Society Hanover” in Germany as well as “The Nomura Cultural Foundation” in Japan and from 2005 to 2006 she was also a DAAD scholar.

Yoshie Shiramizu won also as “Pianoduo Deu’or (Yoshie & Takashi)” (since 2004 together with pianist Takashi Fujii, whom was awarded various prizes and who has given already numerous performances through Europe, China and Japan) the second prize in the London International Music Competition in the UK (no the first prize), in the Concorso Internazionale Musica da camera Camillo Togni in Italy and in the Music Competition for Contemporary Music in Japan, the third prize in the international Schubert Competition for piano duets in Czech Republic. They were prize-winners also in the 10th. Murray Dranoff International Two Piano Competition in the U.S.(the Best Performance Prize of the Newly Commissioned Work) and in the European Chamber music Competition Karlsruhe. Yoshie & Takashi won the Barock Saal prize at Aoyama Music Awards 2006 in Kyoto/Japan.

In addition Yoshie Shiramizu passed in ABC New Artist Audition 2003, made her debut in The Symphony Hall Osaka, Japan. She gives performances in various concerts, research activities with piano solo, piano duo as “Pianoduo Deu’or (Yoshie & Takashi)”, chamber music and with orchestra (Kurpfaelzische Chamber Orchestra, “Jora” di Bacau Philharmonie Orchestra, Janacek Chamber Orchestra Ostrava a.s.o.) in Germany, the UK, Italy, Sweden, Czech Republic, the USA and Japan. Additionally the performance of Yoshie Shiramizu was broadcasted among DeutschlandRadioBerlin, ABC, MXTV, NHK and NHK-BS.

Yoshie Shiramizu is a Faculty member of Kunitachi College of Music and Kyoritsu Womens University. She belongs to Million Concert Association in Japan.

Takashi Fujii
Born: Japan

The Japanese pianist, Takashi Fujii, gave his first public performance with orchestra at the age of 12. Whilst still at school he won the second prize three times at the PTNA Piano Competition in Japan. From 1993 to 2000 he attended the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music (as a pupil of Professor Katsumi Ueda and Professor Klaus Schilde), where he completed his studies (Bachelor and Master of Music), winning the Boesendorfer prize in 2000. During his time at the University, he was awarded prizes at national competitions, such as ABC New Artist Audition and NHK-Radio Recording Audition, in addition he was accepted as a scholar of Agency for Cultural Affairs in Japan. From 1999 he studied at the Staatliche Hochschule fuer Musik und Darstellende Kunst Mannheim in Germany with Professor Robert Benz and Professor Paul Dan. In 2001 he completed his postgraduate studies with the best score and in 2004 his “Konzertexamen”. As a DAAD scholar, he continued his studies for piano duo (4 hands and 2 pianos) with a Japanese pianist Yoshie Shiramizu, who won renowned prizes and gave already many recitals in Japan and abroad, and received his diploma for piano duo in 2006. Also in Europe, he has won Top prizes successfully in the Val Tidone International Competition (Italy) as a soloist and in the London International Music Competition (U.K.) as a piano duo, second prizes in several international competitions in France and Italy, including the Arcachon, the Torneo, the A. Napolitano, the Rovere d’Oro and as a piano duo the C. Togni.

As “Pianoduo Deu’or (Yoshie & Takashi)” they were prize-winners also in the Music Competition for Contemporary Music in Japan (the second prize), in the Schubert International Competition for piano duets in Czech Republic (the third prize), in the 10th. Murray Dranoff International Two Piano Competition in the U.S.(the Best Performance Prize of the Newly Commissioned Work), in the European Chamber music Competition Karlsruhe and at Aoyama Music Awards 2006 in Kyoto/Japan (won the Barock Saal prize).

Takashi Fujii was honored to play at many solo and piano duo concerts (as “Pianoduo Deu’or (Yoshie & Takashi)”), lectures, research activities, sponsored by YAMAHA, the Hilton Japan, Agency for Cultural Affairs Japan, Chopin-Gesellschaft Germany, the City of Karlsruhe and Osaka, Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, the Aoyama-Foundation Kyoto and many others followed in Europe, the USA, China and Japan, which was highly praised by the press and audiences.

Takashi Fujii has already given numerous solo and chamber music concerts, as well as with various orchestras including Baden-Baden Philharmonie, Pan Asia Symphony Orchestra, Ichikawa Symphony Orchestra, Chiba Masters Orchestra and Janacek Chamber Orchestra Ostrava. NHK, NHK-BS, ABC, SWR, MXTV among others have transmitted some of his concerts.

Takashi Fujii serves on Faculty of the Tokyo University of the Arts and belongs to Million Concert Association in Japan.

Pianoduo Deu'or
Founded: 2004 - Germany

In addition, Yoshie Shiramizu and Takashi Fujii began their professional career as “Pianoduo Deu'or (Yoshie & Takashi)” - one piano (four hands) and two pianos starting in 2004 Germany, Deu'or has received a high evaluation and attention from its performance, mainly duo, on more than 300 stages in Japan and overseas.

They have refined their skills with learning from Professor Paul Dan and Professor Robert Benz in the postgraduate course for piano duo at the same Hochschule in Mannheim as DAAD scholar from 2005 to 2006.

Soon after they started playing as a duo, Pianoduo Deu'or (Yoshie&Takashi) won the Top prize in the London International Music Competition in U.K., the second prize in the Concorso Internazionale Musica da camera Camillo Togni in Italy and in the Music Competition for Contemporary Music in Japan, the third prize in the international Schubert Competition for piano duets in Czech Republic. They were prize-winners also in the 10th.Murray Dranoff International Two Piano Competition in the USA (the Best Performance Prize of the Newly Commissioned Work) and in the European Chamber music Competition Karlsruhe. In 2007, They won the Barock Saal prize at Aoyama Music Awards in Kyoto/Japan.

The duo has acquired favorable reputations from its performances with a repertoire extending from J.S. Bach to the modern age at worldwide concerts, lectures, research activities, concerto with Orchestra in Germany, the UK, Sweden, Czech Republic, the USA and Japan, sponsored by YAMAHA, the Hilton Japan, Agency for Cultural Affairs Japan, Chopin-Gesellschaft Germany, the City of Karlsruhe and Osaka, Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, the Aoyama-Foundation Kyoto and many others followed.

With their activities in the NHK-BS,FM, as judges, as FM West-Tokyo radio personality as well as their albums “Deu’or“ and „SYMPHONIE“ being selected as the best album by a magazine “Record Geijutsu“ in Japan, Deu’or is highly expected to achifurther success.

Pianoduo Deu'or (Yoshie & Takashi), belong to Million Concert Association in Japan.

"The Yoshie and Takashi Duo played superbly. Their high voltage performance combined funky soul and pianistic fireworks with equal enthusiasm. " - MiamiHerald
"…Man muss wirklich nicht übertreiben, wenn man dieses Duo heute schon zur Weltspitze in dieser Gattung rechnet - im Kommandantenhaus bekam man jedenfalls eine Sternstunde der Duokunst zu hören. Weltklasse in jedem Falle." - Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung
"Für die lyrischen Empfindungen hat Yoshie Shiramizu ein ausgesuchtes Faible, für das Gewitzte hat Takashi Fujii die gute Ader, für ein erfolgsgekrönte Zusammenspiel einigt man sich auf beides." - Rheinpfalz

Source: Pianoduo Deu'or (Yoshie & Takashi) Website (April 2008)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (November 2016)

Pianoduo Deu'or: Yoshie & Takashi: Short Biographies | Recordings of Instrumental Works

Links to other Sites

Pianoduo Deu'or (Yoshie & Takashi) (Official Website)