Ayako Shirasaki Solo Jazz Piano

www.ayakoshirasaki.com

Recognized in her native Japan as a jazz prodigy (in the 5th grade she was already transcribing Bud Powell solos), Ayako Shirasaki while yet a pre-teen won many prizes including the Grand Prize at the Asakusa Jazz Competition. Her professional career began at the tender age of twelve when she began regular appearances at the 'J' jazz club in Tokyo. Her extraordinary talent was soon recognized, and she was featured in Swing Journal.

- Performance at Jazz Journalists Association Awards Gala 2010, New York
- 1st International Jazz Solo Piano Festival 2009, Germany, Berlin, Munich, Hamburg
- Guest on Marian McPartland's radio show 'Piano Jazz' 2006; National Public Radio
- Finalist in the Mary Lou Williams Women In Jazz Piano Competition 2005 and 2006; Washington, D.C., USA
- Finalist in the Great American Jazz Piano Competition 2004, 2005 and 2006; Jacksonville, Fl., USA
- Member of the 2003 Jazz Aspen Snowmass Emerging Artist Program; Aspen, Co., USA
- Second prize in the First Annual Heineken Jazz Competition 1995
- Grand Prize at the Asakusa Jazz Competition; Asakusa, Japan

After giving birth to her second child, she is now resuming her career by having played at the International Jazz Solo Piano Festival in March 2009, an autumn tour in Northern Germany 2009, a spring tour in Japan 2010 and having released her new CD,"Falling Leaves - Live in Hamburg" on September 2010, which was voted into the "Best of 2010" list by members of the Jazz Journalists Association.

Her latest release "Falling Leaves - Live in Hamburg", a live solo piano recording, was again welcomed by her fans and the jazz press:

"...a highly enjoyable album by a new jazz star in the making.'
--- AllAboutJazz-New York - September 2010 | No. 101 on page 28.

A donation for the church is requested