Rieko Aizawa | Artistic Director | Piano | Horszowski Trio
Praised by the NY Times for her “impressive musicality, a crisp touch and expressive phrasing”, pianist Rieko Aizawa has performed as a soloist throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe, including New York City’s Lincoln Center, Boston's Symphony Hall, Chicago's Orchestra Hall and Vienna's Konzerthaus.
Ms. Aizawa is also an active chamber musician. The youngest-ever participant at the Marlboro Music Festival, she has also performed as guest with string quartets such as the Guarneri Quartet and the Orion Quartet. She is artistic director of the Alpenglow Chamber Music Festival, and she is also a founding member of the Horszowski Trio, honoring the legacy of pianist Mieczyslaw Horszowski (1892-1993), with whom she studied at the Curtis Institute as his very last pupil. As a member of the Horszowski Trio, she made her a sold-out debut at Wigmore Hall in London. In 2023, the “Horszowski Trio Prize” was created by the prestigious Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, to award piano trio winners.
Aizawa grew up in Japan. On the recommendation of pianist Mitsuko Uchida, she was introduced to the esteemed violinist/conductor, Alexander Schneider. Later that year, she made her US début at the Kennedy Center and at Carnegie Hall with the New York String Orchestra, conducted by Mr. Schneider.
She is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and the Juilliard School. In addition to Mieczyslaw Horszowski, she studied with Seymour Lipkin and Peter Serkin. She lives in New York City with her husband, violinist Jesse Mills. She teaches at Bard College and at Brooklyn College. Aizawa is a Steinway Artist.