Biography
Anna Hashimoto made her Barbican 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 during the 2011 English Chamber Orchestra Music Cruise. She won the 1st International Clarinet Competition in Kortrijk, the 7th International Clarinet Competition in Carlino, the Japan Clarinet Society’s ‘Young Clarinettists Competition’ where she was also awarded all three special prizes, and 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, at the Purcell School, and at the Royal Academy of Music under a full Associated Board Scholarship and as a Leverhulme Scholar. There she was awarded numerous awards including the Regency Award on graduation, and she studied with world-renowned soloist Michael Collins for six years. She has been awarded the Meaker Fellowship from September 2011. Anna plays on Peter Eaton ‘International’ clarinets and basset clarinet.
Anna has appeared at London’s Wigmore Hall in 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, Holland, Italy, Greece, New York and the Czech Republic (Dvorak Hall).
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.
She has performed concertos with orchestras such as the Brussels Philharmonic, English Chamber Orchestra, Filharmonie Hradec Kralove, New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Japan Chamber Orchestra, Kyushu Symphony Orchestra and Japan Philharmonic Orchestra. She gave sold-out recitals at Tokyo’s Bunka Kaikan and Kioi Hall in 2008. Her recent tour in Japan included solo and chamber music recitals, including a duo recital with Michael Collins which was broadcast on NHK TV and FM. Her solo album ‘A Touch of France’ has had many favourable reviews in the UK, Japan, and the USA. Musicians she has collaborated with include Vladimir Ashkenazy, Douglas Bostock, Michael Collins, Leon McCawley, the Solstice String Quartet, Alberni Quartet, Ciurloinis Quartet, Kodaly Quartet, and members of the Skampa Quartet and Aronowitz Ensemble. Forthcoming performances include concertos with the chamber players of NHK Symphony Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra at the Cadogan Hall, and Brahms Trio at the opening of 'Tsuyoshi Tsustumi Produce' concert series in Tokyo.
‘Stylish phrasing and a lovely, liquid tone’ – New York Times