Hisako Kawamura to Lead Masterclasses at ClaviCologne 2026

Internationally acclaimed pianist Hisako Kawamura will join ClaviCologne 2026 as a masterclass professor, bringing her wealth of experience as both a distinguished performer and dedicated educator to the festival’s young participants.

Born in Japan and raised in Germany, Kawamura has established herself as one of the most respected pianists of her generation. Her international career was launched through a series of major competition victories, including First Prizes at the Concours Clara Haskil, the A. Casagrande International Piano Competition, the G.B. Viotti International Music Competition, and the European Chopin Competition. She has also been a prizewinner at the ARD International Music Competition, the Concours Géza Anda, and the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competition.

Kawamura has appeared with leading orchestras worldwide, including the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic, Wiener Symphoniker, Russian National Orchestra, and Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, collaborating with conductors such as Paavo Järvi, Marek Janowski, Yuri Temirkanov, Jakub Hrůša, and Kazuki Yamada. Recent highlights include performances of Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Brahms’ First Piano Concerto with the Wiener Symphoniker.

Alongside her celebrated performing career, Kawamura is deeply committed to musical education. She currently serves as Professor of Piano at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen and regularly gives masterclasses at the Tokyo College of Music. Her participation in ClaviCologne 2026 offers a unique opportunity for emerging pianists to learn from an artist whose combination of technical mastery, artistic insight, and pedagogical experience has earned international recognition.