Nanako POHL - TANAKA

Born in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture,
Nanako grew up in a musical environment with hergreat-uncle,

the renowned composer and essayist Ikuma Dan (1924-2001). At age 3

she began to play piano under the guidance of the noted pianist and television

moderator Kazuko Dan (maiden name Fujieda, 1924-2000). At age 8 she

demonstrated her particular talent at her first recital in Kamakura, featuring

MOZART's A major Sonata (K 331) with the

"Rondo alla turca", which

led to the release of her first recording. After first attending the Toho High School of Music she continued

her studies at Toho Gakuen College of Music with Motonari Iguchi (piano) and Hideo

Saito (chamber music) and

graduated 1975 with distinction. On

the advice of the pianist Mitsuko Uchida she enrolled in 1976 at the University

for Music and Performing Arts Vienna, earning her concert artist’s diploma in

1979, also with distinction.

 

Nanako

began professional teaching at St. Poelten Municipal School of Music

(1979-1985); from 1986 she has held a lectureship at the String Department of the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna.

 

As a

passionate pianist Nanako has performed many solo recitals

all over the world,

especially in Austria (e.g. Brahms-, Mozart- and Schubert-Hall in Vienna), but

also in Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan (Tokyo: Bunka

Kaikan 1983, Suntory Hall 1994), Romania, Spain, Turkey and the former USSR. She gave concert performances together with renowned Japanese orchestras (Nagoya Philharmonic, Sapporo Philharmonic,

Yomiuri Symphony Orchestra). Her versatile artistic activities include recitals, chamber music, concerts

with orchestra and lieder

accompaniment.

 

She had numerous performances as

a soloist at important festivals world-wide (e.g. Saavonlinna International Music Festival,

Finland, 1982; Constanta Summer Music Festival, Romania, 1984;

Niederoesterreichische Festwochen, Austria, 1982-84; Kusatsu International

Music Festival, Japan 2001 etc.). Frequent radio and television broadcasts in

Austria (Tomorrow's Masters), Japan (NHK, BS-TBS) and the former USSR.

 

Several

CD’s (EMI) and successful appearances as moderator on Japanese television and

at various "talk-concerts" represent further highlights. In recent years, Nanako is

focusing on chamber music performances with members of leading international

orchestras (Vienna Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Symphony

Orchestra, Austrian Radio Orchestra). As an acclaimed interpreter of the works

of Mozart she has performed a series of chamber music concerts with members of

the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. With Rainer Kuechl, the First Concert Master of the Vienna

Philharmonic Orchestra, Nanako gave a number of concerts in Japan, recorded a CD (Toshiba-EMI) with him and accompanied

him in a

Japanese TV transmission (BS-TBS,

06.10.2012).