Mitsuko Shirai (born 28 May 1947) is a Japanese

mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano (, ), or mezzo ( ), is a type of classical music, classical female singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A bel ...

and music professor.Alan Blyth, "Mitsuko Shirai", Grove Music Online

Biography

Born in Nagano, Shirai first trained in

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

before settling in Germany, where she completed her vocal studies with

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf Dame Olga Maria Elisabeth Friederike Schwarzkopf, (; 9 December 1915 – 3 August 2006) was a German-born Austro-British lyric soprano. She was among the foremost singers of lieder, and is renowned for her performances of Viennese operetta, as w ...

.Slonimsky and Kuhn, "Shirai, Mitsuko", ''Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians'', Centennial Edition, Volume 5, page 3311 Between 1973 and 1976, she took prizes in competitions at Vienna, Zwickau,

's-Hertogenbosch s-Hertogenbosch (), colloquially known as Den Bosch (), is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands with a population of 160,783. It is the capital of ...

, Athens, and

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

. She made her recital début in Tokyo in 1975, her European début in Amsterdam the following year. In 1989 she made her New York début at Carnegie Hall, in Ravel's '' Shéhérazade''. In 1973 Shirai formed a duo with the pianist

Hartmut Höll Hartmut Höll (born November 24, 1952) is a German pianist and music professor.J. B. Steane, "Hartmut Höll", Grove Music Online Biography Höll was born in Heilbronn. He trained in Stuttgart, Milan and Munich, specializing in art song accompanim ...

. The pair have toured extensively, performing repertory from Scarlatti to the complete vocal works of

Anton Webern Anton Webern (; 3 December 1883 – 15 September 1945) was an Austrian composer, conductor, and musicologist. His music was among the most radical of its milieu in its lyric poetry, lyrical, poetic concision and use of then novel atonality, aton ...

, and have given masterclasses in Europe, the USA and Israel. In 1997 the two were awarded the ABC International Music Award. Shirai has made occasional excursions into opera, including an admired Despina at Frankfurt in 1987, and has appeared in concert versions of ''

Lucio Silla ''Lucio Silla'' (), K. 135, is an Italian opera seria in three acts composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart at the age of 16. The libretto was written by Giovanni de Gamerra, revised by Pietro Metastasio. It was first performed on 26 December 1772 ...

'', Wagner's ''

Das Liebesverbot ' (''The Ban on Love'', WWV 38), is an early comic opera in two acts by Richard Wagner, with the libretto written by the composer after Shakespeare's ''Measure for Measure''. Described as a ', it was composed in early 1836. Restrained sexuality ...

'', and Dukas's ''

Ariane et Barbe-bleue ''Ariane et Barbe-bleue'' (, ''Ariadne and Bluebeard'') is an opera in three acts by Paul Dukas. The French libretto is adapted (with very few changes) from the symbolist play of the same name by Maurice Maeterlinck, itself loosely based on the ...

''. Other orchestral appearances have been with the

Berlin Philharmonic The Berlin Philharmonic () is a German orchestra based in Berlin. It is one of the most popular, acclaimed and well-respected orchestras in the world. Throughout the 20th century, the orchestra was led by conductors Wilhelm Furtwängler (1922� ...

New Japan Philharmonic The is a symphony orchestra based in Tokyo, Japan. History It was founded in 1972 with Seiji Ozawa as honorary conductor laureate. The Philharmonic's primary concert venue is the Sumida Triphony Hall. From 2003 to 2013 its music director ...

Atlanta Symphony Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, Nouvel Orchestre Philharmonique de Paris and the

Vienna Symphony The Vienna Symphony (Vienna Symphony Orchestra, ) is an Austrian orchestra based in Vienna. Its primary concert venue is the Vienna Konzerthaus. In Vienna, the orchestra also performs at the Musikverein and at the Theater an der Wien. History ...

."Mitsuko Shirai", ''2015 Who's Who in Classical Music'', p. 803 Conductors include

Riccardo Chailly Riccardo Chailly (, ; born 20 February 1953) is an Italian conductor. He is currently music director of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra and of La Scala. Prior to this, he held chief conducting positions at the Gewandhausorchester (2005–20 ...

Eliahu Inbal Eliahu Inbal (; born 16 February 1936, Jerusalem) is an Israeli conductor. Inbal has enjoyed a career of international renown, conducting leading orchestras around the worlHe has conducted a wide variety of works. He is best known for his interpr ...

Yuri Ahronovitch Yuri Mikhaylovich Ahronovitch (; 13 May 193231 October 2002) was a Soviet-born Israeli conductor. Born in Leningrad, he studied music and the violin from the age of 4. In 1954 he graduated as conductor from the Leningrad Conservatory. He studi ...

, Ferencic and

Wolfgang Sawallisch Wolfgang Sawallisch (26 August 1923 – 22 February 2013) was a German conductor and pianist. Biography Wolfgang Sawallisch was born in Munich, the son of Maria and Wilhelm Sawallisch. His father was director of the Hamburg-Bremer-Feuerversich ...

Teaching

In 1992 she was appointed professor of singing at the

Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe The Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe () is a college of music in Karlsruhe, Germany. Originally the Baden Conservatory of Music, it was elevated to a Hochschule under the direction of Franz Philipp, who led the school from 1924 to 1942. Studies ...

. She has presented masterclasses at the

Savonlinna Opera Festival Savonlinna Opera Festival () is held annually in the city of Savonlinna in Finland. The Festival takes place at the medieval Olavinlinna (St. Olaf's Castle), built in 1475. The castle is located amid spectacular lake scenery. Origin The birth ...

, the

Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival The Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival (SHMF) is a classical music festival held each summer throughout the state of Schleswig-Holstein in Northern Germany. History The festival was founded in 1986 by German concert pianist and conductor Justus Fr ...

, and the

Aldeburgh Festival The Aldeburgh Festival of Music and the Arts is an English arts festival devoted mainly to classical music. It takes place each June in the town of Aldeburgh, Suffolk and is centred on Snape Maltings Concert Hall. History of the Aldeburgh Festi ...

, as well as in Switzerland, the USA, and at Isaac Stern's

Jerusalem Music Centre The Jerusalem Music Centre is an institute for musical education in Mishkenot Sha’ananim, Jerusalem. The centre offers programs, courses, and master classes.

Selected discography

*''Haydn: Arianna a Naxos; English Canzonettas'' (1990) Camerata Records *''2x Winterreise'' (1991) Capriccio Records *''Othmar Schoeck: Das Holde Besheiden'' (1993) Claves *''Lieder mit Viola (Songs with Viola)'' (1995) Capriccio Records *''Schubert-Edition: Die Schöne Müllerin; Winterreise'' (1997) Capriccio Records *''Schumann: Frauenliebe und –Leben, Op. 42, Liederkreis, Op. 39'' (1997) Camerata Records *''Wolf: Möricke Lieder'' (1998) Capriccio Records *''Norbert Burgmüller: Chamber Music'' (2000) MDG *''LiedOpera: Franz Schubert, Vol. 1, Op. 1–24'' (2000) Capriccio Records *''Schumann: Songs/Lieder'' (2003) Brilliant *''Europäisches Liederbuch'' (2003) Capriccio Records *''Lied Edition'' (10 CDs) (2004) Capriccio Records *''Paul Dukas: Ariane et Barbe-Bleue'' (2011) Capriccio Records *''Schumann: Myrthen, Op. 25 (selections); Lenau Lieder, Op. 90'' (unknown date) Brilliant *''Schubert: Abendröte; Spohr: Deutsche Lieder'' (unknown date) Capriccio Records *''Wolf: Goethe-Lieder'' (unknown date) Capriccio Records *''Robert Franz: Selected Songs'' (unknown date) Capriccio Records *''Mozart: 21 Lieder'' (unknown date) Delta Distribution *''Mahler: Lieder'' (unknown date) Capriccio Records *''Franz Schubert: Lieder'' (unknown date) Capriccio Records *''Richard Strauss: Ausgewählte Lieder'' (unknown date) Capriccio Records *''Hölderlin Gesänge'' (1994) Capriccio Records *''Schönberg: Ausgewählte Lieder'' (unknown date) Capriccio Records *''Schumann Lieder'' (unknown date) Capriccio Records *''Schubert: Winterreise, D 911'' (unknown date) Capriccio Records *''Alban Berg: Lieder, 1900–1925'' (unknown date) Capriccio Records *''Schumann: Liederkreis, Op. 39'' (unknown date) Capriccio Records *''Brahms: 21 Lieder'' (unknown date) Capriccio Records *''Webern: Early Songs, Op. 3, 4, 12'' (unknown date) Capriccio Records *''Franz Liszt: 16 Lieder'' (unknown date) Capriccio Records *''Wolf: Songs with Orchestra'' (2012), Capriccio 5101–four orchestral songs of Wolf with the Berlin Radio Orchestra and David Shallon

Footnotes

Prizes

1982 Robert-Schumann-Preis 1996 Großen Idemitsu-Musikpreis 1997 ABC International Music Award 2008 “Verdienstmedaille am violetten Band“ donated by the Emperor of Japan 2010 Bundesverdienstkreuz 2018 “The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette” donated by the Emperor of Japan regarding her engagement for the German Lied and culture 2018 Ehrendoktorwürde by the University of Victoria / Canada (Dr. honoris causa)

References

* * *.

External links

Discography on Allmusic.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shirai, Mitsuko 1947 births Living people Japanese mezzo-sopranos 20th-century Japanese women opera singers 21st-century Japanese women opera singers Operatic mezzo-sopranos Musicians from Nagano (city) Singers from Nagano Prefecture Prize-winners of the ARD International Music Competition