A prize winner of the Chopin Competition in Warsaw, Takako Takahashi is currently one of the most gifted pianists in the world today.
Born in Sapporo, Japan, Ms. Takahashi graduated from the Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo. She continued her graduate studies at the Polish National Frederic Chopin Music Academy in Warsaw, completing with honours in 1991.
Her principal professors were Nobuyoshi Kato, Jan Ekier and Koji Shimoda. She also worked with such distinguished pianists as Victor Merzhanov and Halina Czerny-Stefanska.
In 1989 she won both the second prize and the best contemporary music-performing award at the Porto City International Music Competition. She went on to win the first prize at Radziwill International Piano competition in Antonin and the fifth prize at the 12th International Frederic Chopin Piano Competition, in 1990 in Warsaw. In 1996 she was awarded the Chopin Society Prize for the best Chopin recital in 1995.
She has recorded and appeared in various broadcasting media as well as having had many successful recitals and concertos with orchestras throughout Europe and Japan. She had also appeared in famous music festivals including the Yokohama International Piano Concert, Marianske Lazne International Chopin Festival, Duszniki International Chopin Festival, Nohant International Chopin Festival and the Rimini International Music Festival.
She is especially admired and acclaimed by reviewers and her beautiful performances have been recorded on compact discs produced by labels such as Exton (especially the series of "Voyage de Chopin"), Pony Canyon and Victor.