is a Japanese-French

pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...

. Ebi was born in

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...

. She studied at the Tokyo University of the Arts, and won the piano prize of the 41st Music Competition of Japan. Her international career began with her winning second prize in the 1975 Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud Competition in Paris. She continued her studies with Aldo Ciccolini at the

Conservatoire de Paris The Conservatoire de Paris (), also known as the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue ...

. In 1980, she won fifth prize at the

X International Chopin Piano Competition The X International Chopin Piano Competition ( pl, X Międzynarodowy Konkurs Pianistyczny im. Fryderyka Chopina) was held from 1 to 20 October 1980 in Warsaw. Đặng Thái Sơn, who in the final played with an orchestra for the first time in h ...

, after which Martha Argerich, who was a member of the jury, took patronage over her. Ebi is one of the major pianists of our time ''88 notes pour piano solo'',

Jean-Pierre Thiollet Jean-Pierre Thiollet (; born 9 December 1956) is a French writer and journalist. Primarily living in Paris, he is the author of numerous books and one of the national leaders of the European Confederation of Independent Trade Unions (CEDI), a ...

, Neva Editions, 2015, . and her international career continues with performances around the world, with annual tours in Japan, and annual appearances at international music festivals including Festival de La Roque-d'Anthéron in France, the Echternach Music Festival in Luxembourg, and

La Folle Journée La Folle Journée is a French annual classical music festival held in Nantes. It is the largest classical music festival in France. The festival's name refers to the Pierre Beaumarchais play ''The Marriage of Figaro'', whose alternative title i ...

in France.

Recordings

Ebi has recorded works by Chopin, Brahms, Liszt, Franck and others. Among her most noteworthy recordings are the two discs "Music of Hikari Ōe" of works by the Japanese composer Hikari Ōe.

Awards

* 1975 – second prize in the 16th Long-Thibaud Competition * 1980 – fifth prize (no fourth was awarded) in the 10th International Chopin Piano Competition * 1981 – Leeds International Piano Competition * 1993 – French government Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres, distinction * 2002 – Japanese Exxon-Mobile Music Prize

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ebi, Akiko Japanese classical pianists Japanese women pianists 21st-century French women classical pianists 1953 births Living people People from Osaka Long-Thibaud-Crespin Competition prize-winners Prize-winners of the International Chopin Piano Competition Japanese emigrants to France