広島県出身。

国立音楽大学演奏科打楽器専修を首席で卒業、同時に武岡賞を授与され、国立音楽大学卒業演奏 会、ソリストコース修了演奏会、読売新人演奏会に推薦され出演を果たす。

同年より、ベルギー王立アントワープ音楽院へ入学し、ポストグラデュエート課程ソロ専攻、大 学院マリンバ専攻、ポストグラデュエート課程室内楽専攻を全て首席で卒業。

卒業時に選抜され ソリストとしてCD「sporen’11」をレコーディングする。

 

２０１２年よりフリーマリンバ奏者として活動を始め、２０１３年にデビューリサイタル開催後、 ２０１６年、２０２１年にもソロリサイタルを東京、広島にて開催。

 

現在、「上野信一＆フォニックス・レフレクション 」、「マリンバ連弾ふわり」、「デュオ・ プランタン」メンバー。

桜美林大学芸術文化学群音楽専修、長野県小諸高校音楽科打楽器講師。ADAMS/Pearl楽器インターナショナルアーティスト。

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これまでに、アントワープ青少年管弦楽団（ベルギー）とマリンバ協奏曲を協演。

「Marimba-spektakel」ベルギーツアーにソリストとして参加し、ラーゲンデン管弦楽団（ベル ギー）とモナ・アハダッブ氏作曲マリンバ協奏曲第一番を世界初演。

ブラパ大学MUPA主催の音楽祭「Road to Asean 2012」（タイ）、ラングシット大学（タイ）、 第四回中国国際打楽器コンクール（中国）、第３回タイ国際打楽器フェスティバルへ招聘され、 マスタークラス、演奏会、コンクールの審査員を務める他、打楽器アンサンブル「上野信一 & フ ォニックス・レフレクション」の一員としてルーマニア国際打楽器フェスティバル、IPEA上海 国際打楽器フェスティバルへ招聘され演奏会を行う。

 

「デュオ・プランタン」として、1st CD「Sakura」を制作し、CD発売記念演奏会を東京、広島 にて開催。ベルギー大使館にて演奏。

 

2020 年、１st solo CD「Feel the Sunlight」（fontec)発売。レコード芸術準特選盤、音楽現 代推薦盤に選出される。

 

受賞歴：

・第１１回JILA国際音楽コンクール打楽器部門第２位、ガラコンサート出演。（２００６）

・第１３回KOBE国際音楽コンクール打楽器部門第１位、兵庫県教育庁賞、タカハシパール賞受 賞、ガラコンサート出演。（２００８）

・第８回PASイタリア国際打楽器コンクールマリンバ部門“ベストイリアーシュ”特別賞受賞。 （２０１０）

・New Tenuto コンクール（ベルギー）第１位。（２０１０）

・第４回ヨーロピアン音楽コンクール（イタリア）室内楽部門において、１００点満点の第１位、 “パオロ・セラーオ”特別賞受賞。（２０１２）

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マリンバをルードヴィッヒ・アルベルト、上野信一、神谷百子、百瀬和紀、新谷祥子、高橋美智子、荻原里香の各氏に師事。

 

 

Karen Takaguchi

 

Karen Takaguchi is an international marimbist from Japan whose passion to explore marimba performance embraces marimba solo, chamber music, ensemble and marimba orchestra.

Her music journey started at five years of age by learning the piano and she began playing the marimba when she was eight years old.

Thanks to the classical piano education that formed the backbone of her music for 15 years, she is able to perform the marimba with natural phrasing, colorful expression and a wide range of musicality.

 

Her first marimba solo CD “Feel the Sunlight” was released from Fontec in 2020 and was highly praised and widely recommended by the Record Geijutsu magazine, the Band Journal and the Ongaku Gendai magazine in Japan.

 

“The marimba as performed by Takaguchi has a very delicate sonority. Each note is beautifully and painstakingly polished. It is well worth it just to hear them." -Yo Goto- (the Record Geijutsu magazine)

"Being able to accurately express a piece of music is an essential requirement for a performer. Karen Takaguchi is a rare presence among percussionists as she grasps the appeal of the music and puts her heart and soul into how she expresses herself through the music." -Shiniti Ueno-

“I’m very impressed by Karen Takaguchi’s expression of emotions and by the overall excellence of interpretation and musicianship. I believe she will keep touching our heart with her colorful play.” -Ludwig Albert-

 

As a marimba soloist, chamber music player and ensemble player, she was invited to several universities and international music festivals such as : Burapha University in Thailand; MUPA presents “Road to Asean 2012” in Thailand; Rangsit University in Thailand; the 4th International Percussion Competition of China; the International Percussion Festival in Romania; the 4th IPEA International Percussion Festival in Shanghai; and the 3rd Thailand International Percussion Festival as a lecturer, performer and jury member.

 

Karen Takaguchi has won several prizes including the second prize at the 11the JILA Music Competition in 2006, the first prize, Hyogo Prefecture Educational Director’s Prize and the Takahashi Pearl Prize at the 13th Kobe International Music Competition in 2008, The Best Ilijas Prize by Nebojsa Jovan Zivkovic at the International Percussion Competition in Italy in 2010, the first prize and the Paolo Serrao prize in chamber music at the 3rd European music competition in Italy in 2012.

Also, after winning the first prize in the New Tenuto Competition in Belgium in 2011, she performed the concert tour “Marimba-spektakel” to premier “Marimba Concerto No.1” by Mona Ahdab with the Orkest der Lage Landen in Belgium in 2013.

 

Karen Takaguchi obtained her Bachelor Degree with the highest honor from Kunitachi College of Music, and was awarded the prestigious Takeoka prize, as well as a special scholarship for excellence in studies.

She was also chosen to perform in the Graduation Concert, the Soloists’ Course Concert and the Yomiuri New Artists Concert. She obtained her Post Graduate Degree in marimba solo with great distinction, and completed her Master Degree in marimba and Postgraduate Degree in chamber music with the highest distinction from The Royal Conservatory in Antwerp.

 

She has studied under Dr. Ludwig Albert, Shinichi Ueno, Momoko Kamiya, Kazunori Momose, Shoko Araya, Michiko Takahashi and Rika Ogihara.

 

Currently, she is a lecturer at J.F. Oberlin University in Tokyo and Komoro high school in Nagano. She is a member of "Shiniti Ueno and Phonix Reflexion"(percussion ensemble and marimba orchestra),"Marimba Duo Fuwari", "Duo Printemps"(marimba and saxophone) and Japan Percussion Association.

 

Karen Takaguchi is an international artist ADAMS/ Pearl instruments, and performs on an ADAMS Ludwig Albert Signature Marimba.