Biography
Anna Hashimoto made her Barbican Hall debut in December 2004 at the age of fifteen, playing Weber’s Concertino with the English Chamber Orchestra. She has since been invited regularly as a soloist with the orchestra, most recently under the baton of Vladimir Ashkenazy. She won the Japan Clarinet Society’s ‘Young Clarinettists Competition’ where she was also awarded all three special prizes, and the following year was a prizewinner and the youngest competitor of the Japan Clarinet Competition.
Anna was born in Japan in 1989 and moved to London six months later. She studied at the Junior Department of the Royal College of Music with Charles Hine, where she was awarded the Else and Leonard Cross Memorial Scholarship and the Esther Coleman Prize.
Anna has appeared at London’s Wigmore Hall on numerous occasions playing solo and chamber music. She has also played in the Cadogan Hall, South Bank Centre and Buckingham Palace, as well as France, Spain and Italy.
At the ‘International ClarinetFest 2005’ she had the honour of giving the Japan Premiere and a live broadcasting of Michael Daugherty’s new clarinet concerto ’Brooklyn Bridge’. There she also performed Tartini/Jacob’s Concertino with the British Clarinet Ensemble with whom she has also recorded a CD of the work.
Anna has given many recitals and concerto performances. In 2006 she performed Mozart Clarinet Concerto four times, including a performance with the Japan Chamber Orchestra, and the English Chamber Orchestra. Anna gave a highly acclaimed performance of Jean Francaix’s Concerto at LSO St Luke’s in March 2007. Other performances include Weber, Finzi and Spohr concertos with orchestras such as the London Pro Arte Orchestra, Kyushu Symphony Orchestra and Japan Philharmonic Orchestra. She gave sold-out recitals at Tokyo’s Bunka Kaikan and Kioi Hall in 2008. As a chamber musician she has collaborated with Michael Collins, Leon McCawley, Tom Poster, and the Alberni Quartet.
Anna was a student at the Purcell School and is now at the Royal Academy of Music under a full Associated Board Scholarship, where she continues to study with world-renowned soloist Michael Collins. Anna plays on Peter Eaton ‘International’ clarinets and basset clarinet.