Kiyoko Tanaka plays Chopin Etudes

Live recording in the international Chopin piano competition 1960. Op. 25-3, 6, 8.

Kiyoko Tanaka (1932-1996)
Kiyoko Tanaka began learning piano in her hometown, Tokyo. Her first teacher was Kasuko Yasukawa. Subsequently Ms. Tanaka studied with Leonid Kreutzer, student of the famous Anna Essipova, at the Higher Music School in Tokyo. In 1949, she won the Grand Prix at the national Mainichi Competition.

In 1950 Ms. Tanaka left for Paris and studied for two years at the Conservatoire with Lazare Lévy, graduating with honours in 1951. She dedicated the following year to completing her knowledge of chamber music (with Maurice Hewitt) and music theory (with Pierre Revel) at the Paris Conservatoire.

Kiyoko Tanaka came 2nd (ex aequo with Ingrid Haebler) at the International Music Performance Competition in Geneva in 1952), the Long-Thibaud Competition in Paris (4th Prize, 1953) and the Chopin Competition in Warsaw (10th prize, 1955).

Despite failing to achieve top rankings at these competitions, Ms. Tanaka was now safely launched as an international concert pianist. Between 1955 and 1957 she went on several tours, achieving wide recognition as "one of the best pianists of her generation." In 1958, she went on a triumphant grand tour of South America. She always enjoyed great popularity in her homeland -- in some seasons she would appeared in concert 120 times a year in Japan alone.

In Poland Ms. Tanaka gained many fans at the Chopin Competition through her sensitive playing and captivating demeanour. In following years she appeared many times in Poland, e.g. in 1957, when between 14th and 19th May she played four times in Warsaw, performing Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major and other pieces. One music critic wrote that "in her manner of interpretation Ms. Tanaka seems to come closest to the French ideal of performance represented by Monique Haas. In her performance of Ravel (Miroirs, Concerto) was something ultimately perfect." A few years later Ms. Tanaka was back to Warsaw, playing a recital featuring Couperin, Rameau, Chopin (Ballade in F minor, Barcarolle, Scherzo in E major), Débussy and Ravel. Her performance Saint-Saëns' 5th Piano Concerto in F major with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra is still vividly remembered.
Stanisław Dybowski

Her career as a pianist completely prevented by a desease "connective tissue disease", when she was 38 years old.

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