Takako Nishizaki
Violinist Takako Nishizaki is perhaps the most frequently recorded concert violinist of the digital era. She was also the first violinist to learn by way of the Suzuki method; her father, Shinji Nishizaki, worked with Shinichi Suzuki in developing the method, and Takako Nishizaki took instruction from both teachers. She made her debut at the age of 9, and further studied with Broadus Erle, starting in Japan and later at Yale University. Nishizaki finished her violin studies at Juilliard under Joseph Fuchs and in 1967 won second prize in the Leventritt International competition behind Pinchas Zukerman.
One would surmise that with her talent and beauty that American record companies would be getting in each other's way to obtain Nishizaki's recording contract. But they weren't, and by 1974 Nishizaki settled in Hong Kong, where she established a career as the pre-eminent violin virtuoso on the Chinese concert circuit. This was no small feat, as in China they take the violin seriously and its literature is central to the entire establishment of Chinese classical music. Along the way Nishizaki met and married German businessman Klaus Heymann, founder of HNH International, the corporate parent to the popular classical label Naxos. Heymann sponsored Nishizaki in an extensive series of recordings of Chinese classical music on his Marco Polo label. Some of these recordings sold into the millions of copies in China, providing the nest egg that launched the Naxos label in the late 1980s.
With Naxos, Nishizaki has recorded much of the standard Western violin literature, as well, but has made a special mission of recording key violin literature that is known in concert and in the classroom, but seldom represented on records. The most celebrated example of this tendency is her recordings of the concertos of Chevalier de St-Georges, but it also includes her interpretations of Charles August de Bériot, Louis Spohr, and Joseph Joachim. All of Nishizaki's recordings are notable for her generous, singing tone; flexible rhythmic sensibility; her sense of architectural symmetry in regard to whole movements; her ability to excite; and the sheer beauty of Nishizaki's sound.
© TiVo
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CHEN / HE: Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto (The) / VIVALDI: Four Seasons Ctos
Takako Nishizaki, Shanghai Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, Cheng-wu Fan
Klassiek - Released by Marco-Polo on 9 okt. 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Spohr: Violin Concertos Nos. 7 and 12
Takako Nishizaki, Bratislava Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, Libor Pešek
Klassiek - Released by Naxos on 31 dec. 1986
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Du Mingxin: 10 Xinjiang Dances
Takako Nishizaki, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Hoey Choo
Klassiek - Released by Marco-Polo on 3 jul. 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
TCHAIKOVSKY: Seasons (The)
Takako Nishizaki, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Peter Breiner
Klassiek - Released by Marco-Polo on 1 jul. 2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Takako Nishizaki joue Suzuki Evergreens, Vol. 1
Klassiek - Released by Naxos Special Projects - France on 25 mei 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Chinese Popular Hits for Violin and Orchestra: Love for A Man Who Never Comes Home
Takako Nishizaki, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Peter Breiner
Azië - Released by Marco-Polo on 1 jan. 1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Smetana: String Quartets Nos. 1 and 2
Moyzesovo kvarteto, Tatjana Franova, Takako Nishizaki
Kamermuziek - Released by Naxos on 1 mei 1991
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
BEETHOVEN: Violin Sonatas Op. 12, Nos. 1-3
Kamermuziek - Released by Naxos on 11 mei 1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Hall of Fame
Klassiek - Released by Marco-Polo on 13 sep. 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mingxin Du: Violin Concerto & Piano Concerto "Spirit of Spring"
Takako Nishizaki, Jenő Jandó, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Nemzeti Filharmonikus Zenekar, Kenneth Jean, Zuohuang Chen
Klassiek - Released by Marco-Polo on 1 jul. 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
BEETHOVEN: Violin Sonatas Nos. 6-8
Kamermuziek - Released by Naxos on 25 apr. 1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
JOACHIM: Violin Concerto No. 3 / Overtures, Opp. 4 and 13
Takako Nishizaki, Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR, Meir Minsky
Concertmuziek - Released by Marco-Polo on 1 jul. 1991
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
JOACHIM: Violin Concerto No. 3 / Overtures, Opp. 4 and 13
Takako Nishizaki, Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR, Meir Minsky
Concertmuziek - Released by Naxos on 1 jul. 1991
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Four Seasons and Other Famous Concerti
Klassiek - Released by Naxos on 26 apr. 1999
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Violin Sonatas, K. 378, K. 376 and K. 296
Klassiek - Released by SMOOTH CLASSICAL on 1 jan. 1987
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rubinstein: Violin Concerto / Cui: Suite Concertante
Takako Nishizaki, Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Michael Halasz, Kenneth Schermerhorn
Concertmuziek - Released by Naxos on 17 apr. 2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Violin Sonatas, Vol. 5
Takako Nishizaki, Benjamin Loeb
Kamermuziek - Released by Naxos on 21 feb. 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Takako Nishizaki plays Suzuki <sup><small>®</small></sup> Evergreens (Volume 7)
Klassiek - Released by Naxos on 25 mei 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Violin Concertos N.4&5
Takako Nishizaki, Capella Istropolitana, Stephen Gunzenhauser, Johannes Wildner
Klassiek - Released by Naxos on 1 jan. 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Spohr: Violin Concertos Nos. 7 and 12
Takako Nishizaki, Capella Istropolitana, Libor Pešek
Klassiek - Released by Marco-Polo on 31 dec. 1986
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Takako Nishizaki plays Suzuki <sup><small>®</small></sup> Evergreens (Volume 6)
Klassiek - Released by Naxos on 25 mei 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo