Winner of the Johann Sebastian Bach Competition in Leipzig, American pianist Rachel Naomi Kudo is captivating audiences with her “heartfelt, courageous and perfect playing” (Lübecker Nachrichten) and as a “thrilling” artist with “the highest artistic claim who demonstrates a perfection of technique and precision down to the smallest motivic detail” (Die Rheinpfalz).
Born in Washington, D.C., to Japanese-Korean parents, Rachel began her studies with Emilio del Rosario at the Music Institute of Chicago. Shortly following her debut with the Chicago and Fort Worth Symphony Orchestras, she was a finalist of the 15th International Chopin Competition in Warsaw and winner of the Gilmore Young Artist Award.
Rachel received the Arthur Rubinstein Prize and Chopin Prize under the tutelage of Yoheved Kaplinsky and Joseph Kalichstein at The Juilliard School, and continued her studies with Richard Goode at Mannes College, Gilbert Kalish at Stony Brook University, and Leon Fleisher at the Peabody Institute. She received guidance from Robert Levin, and Emanuel Ax and Sir András Schiff at Carnegie Hall’s Professional Training Workshops.
Most recently, Rachel was engaged as a live stream host for the 18th International Chopin Competition in Warsaw, and presented the world premiere of Marc-André Hamelin’s Suite à l’ancienne, which she commissioned with her funding from the Gilmore Piano Festival.
As a recent winner of the 21st J.S. Bach Competition in Leipzig, Germany, Rachel lends her unique musicianship to the exploration of the great master’s Baroque dance suites as contrasted by the delightful waltzes of J. Brahms. The program culminates with the quintessence of German Romanticism: Schumann’s Carnival.
For help purchasing tickets, please call 469-333-3231.
