Rieko Aizawa

"Impressive musicality, a crisp touch and expressive phrasing."

Praised by the NY Times for her “impressive musicality, a crisp touch and expressive phrasing,” pianist Rieko Aizawa has performed as a soloist throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe, including New York City’s Lincoln Center, Boston’s Symphony Hall, Chicago’s Orchestra Hall and Vienna’s Konzerthaus.

Ms. Aizawa is an active chamber musician. The youngest-ever participant at the Marlboro Music Festival, she has also performed as guest with string quartets such as the Guarneri Quartet, the Orion Quartet and the Shanghai Quartet.

She is a founding member of the Horszowski Trio and of the prize-winning Duo Prism. She is artistic director of the Alpenglow Chamber Music Festival in Silverthorne, Colorado. As a member of the Horszowski Trio, she recently performed a sold-out debut at Wigmore Hall in London, accompanying their CD release of the complete Schumann piano trios on AVIE Records.

Aizawa grew up in Japan. On the recommendation of the pianist Mitsuko Uchida, she was introduced to the esteemed Alexander Schneider. Later that year, she made her US début at the Kennedy Center and at Carnegie Hall with the New York String Orchestra, conducted by Mr. Schneider.

She is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and the Juilliard School. She was the last pupil of Mieczyslaw Horszowski and she also studied with Seymour Lipkin and Peter Serkin. She lives in New York City with her husband, violinist Jesse Mills. She teaches at the Longy School of Music of Bard College and at Brooklyn College. Aizawa is a Steinway Artist.