Famous Japanese violinist Akiko Suwanai had a master class at TNUA on March 14, during which she gave two violin students one-on-one teaching. It was the maestro’s second visit to TNUA. She last visited TNUA in 2022 to take part in a music workshop.

 

Prof. Shien-Ta Su, dean of the School of Music at TNUA, noted that the master class was sponsored by Powerchip Cultural Foundation, which managed to squeeze in the lecture for Ms. Suwanai ahead of her solo recital in Taiwan on March 16.

The students played S. Prokovief’s “Violin Concerto No.2 in G minor Op. 63” and R. Strauss’s “Violin Sonata in Eb Major, Op.18” for the one-on-one teaching.

During the Q&A session, Ms. Suwanai explained how she usually practices and how practice is different from actual performances on stage. She said that in order to give the best possible performance every time, she constantly spurs herself and relies on all her experience.

Ms. Suwanai told the students that as the future is unpredictable, they need to summon their courage and work constantly to prepare themselves for the challenges lying ahead.

She won the International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1990 at the age of 18, becoming the youngest-ever winner of the prize.

She has been artistic director of the International Music Festival Nippon that she founded in 2012. The festival organizes various kinds of philharmonic and chamber music concerts and regularly commissions Japanese and foreign musicians to compose musical pieces.

She has been giving solo recitals, and also has performed with many of the world’s renowned orchestras and conductors.

Born in Japan, she studied in the US and Germany, and now lives in France. She said that she hopes to contribute more to society by arranging various kinds of musical events where she can share with more people what brings her so much joy in her life. She said she is working hard to introduce classical music to a broader audience.