Born: Tokyo, Japan

The Japanese harpsichordist, Mayako Soné [Sone], began studying the piano and the violin at the age of 5. At the age of 16, she enrolled in the harpsichord class of Motoko Naooshima at the Toho Conservatory of Music in Tokyo and worked privately with Chiyoko Arita. In 1983 she started her activities as continuo harpsichord player. In 1986, having been awarded a prize at the International Harpsichord Competition in Bruges (Belgium), she continued her studies in France and in Italy with Scott Ross, Kenneth Gilbert and Gustav Leonhardt.

In 1990 Mayako Soné was invited to become resident harpsichordist with the Israel Chamber Orchestra, performing regularly under the baton of Shlomo Mintz. As a soloist, she is always widely acclaimed and appears in concert halls and music festivals in Japan and in Europe. She is recognized by the international musical press as “…a virtuoso who has the confidence of a rare musician joining a great technique to a deep musical sensitivity… Her body seems to be crossed by waves; she speaks with her instrument and her hands, and her fingers realize an infernal choreography communicating and charming the audience. She belongs to the highest class of musicians”.

Mayako Soné became Erato's first exclusive Japanese artist, having been chosen by the label to record the Unpublished Sonatas of Domenico Scarlatti - a project undertaken in order to fulfill the wishes of the late Scott Ross who had released a collection of the complete harpsichord works of Scarlatti. Her recordings for Erato include the following titles: “J.S. Bach: Goldberg Variations”, “Scarlatti: Sonates Inédites”, “Cinéma Clavecin”, “Je l'aime”, “J.S. Bach: French Suite”, and “J.S. Bach: Toccata”.

Mayako Soné takes great interest in the search for new artistic horizons. In doing so, she also collaborated in a highly acclaimed performance with contemporary dancer Santiago Sanpere in Tokyo and in Paris. She is active not only as musician but also as writer. She has already published her first article “Suddenly Parisienne” and continues to write the articles for several magazines.

Source: Kajimoto Concert Management Website
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (November 2006)

Mayako Soné: Short Biography | Recordings of Non-Vocal Works

Links to other Sites

Mayako Sone (Official Website) [Japanes]
Mayako Sone (Kajimoto Concert Management) [English/Japanes]

NEC Navigates: Mayako Sone

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