Arika Abe

Born in Osaka, Arika Abe began playing piano at the age of four. Graduated from the Doshisha Girls’ Junior and Senior High School and the Keyboard Instruments Course, Department of Music, Faculty of Liberal Arts at the Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Arts. Participated in the Kusatsu International Summer Music Festival while still in college. Studied under Edith Picht-Axenfeld and Josef Páleníček, and participated in concerts held at the end of the courses.

Moved to Europe after performing in the Nara Prefecture New Artists Concert, Osaka Gakuyu Association’s Concert by Nominated Artists and other events in Japan. Entered the piano performance course at the Austrian National University of Music and Performing Arts Graz (KUG). Received the First Diploma and graduated from the piano performance course. Entered the piano-vocal accompaniment master’s course at the graduate school of KUG. Passed the audition for the 1st Pacific Music Festival around this time and was invited as a scholarship student. Studied under Leonard Bernstein as one of his last students and performed chamber music and other programs with members of the London Symphony Orchestra.

While in graduate school, participated as a répétiteur for vocal accompaniment at concerts and various opera productions. Also became active as a cembalist after being recognized in a basso continuo (figured bass) class. Returned to Japan after completing the Second Diploma (Magister degree) course. Held solo recitals in Graz, France (Saint-Malo), Kyoto and Nara. Appeared in numerous performances as a collaborative pianist with vocalists, choruses, string players and wind instrument players.

Participated in various concerts, particularly in the area of classical song, not only as a specialist of German lied but also as an accompanist for French mélodie and appeared in regular concerts held by La Société Mélodie Française de Kyoto and other events. In the area of chamber music, performed in quintets with the New Budapest String Quartet and the Prometheus Quartet of Germany.

As a soloist, performed piano concertos with Graz teachers’ college Orchestra, Osaka Chamber Orchestra, Nara Philharmonic Orchestra and others. Performed in France in 2014 as a member of the soprano, flute and piano trio “Kyotrico.”

Completed the masterclasses of Walter Klien, Christian Ivaldi, Kemal Gekić, Anthony Spiri and Dalton Baldwin. Studied piano under Reiko Koshimizu, Susumu Kasahara, Kyoko Kosemura and Akiko Sato, and vocal accompaniment under Gerhard Zeller. Also studied the cembalo under Franz Zebinger and the fortepiano under Patrick Cohen.

Member of the Nara Prefecture Music Arts Association and La Société Mélodie Française de Kyoto. Part-time instructor at École JEUGIA, Shiga Junior College and Kansai Women’s College. Presides over the piano salon “Atelier Artika” established in Ikoma, Nara, in March 2016.