Miu Hirai

JAPAN
September 16, 2000

Born in Japan in 2000, Miu Hirai started playing the violin at the age of 5 and the piano at 7. She is the 1st prize winner of the Japan Junior Classical Music Competition (2013), the 3rd prize winner of the Japan Classical Music Competition (2014, 2015), the finalist of the piano section at the Japan Classical Music Competition (2015), the outstanding performance award at the Miyazaki International Music Festival (2022), the 1st prize winner and concerto award at the Kanagawa Music Competition (2022), the 4th prize winner at the Tokyo Music Competition (2023), the semifinalist at the Prague Spring International Music Competition (2024), and so on. She has also worked with the New Japan Philharmonic, Tokyo Geidai Philharmonia, Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra among others.
She received the Douseikai Award when she graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts (where she is currently in the second year of the Master’s programme). She studied with Professors Taro Uemura and Masafumi Hori.

First round
Johann Sebastian Bach Adagio and Fugue from Sonata No. 3 in C major for Solo Violin, BWV 1005
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major K. 219 (first movement with cadenza)
Niccolò Paganini Caprice in A minor Op. 1 No. 5

Second round
Vlad Maistorovici B.A.C.H., Passacaglia for Solo Violin
Franz Schubert Fantasy in C major for Violin and Piano D. 934
Niccolò Paganini Variations on I palpiti Op. 13

Semifinal
George Enescu Ménétrier from Impressions d’enfance Suite Op. 28
Edvard Grieg Violin Sonata No. 3 in C minor Op. 45
George Enescu Violin Sonata No. 3 in A minor Op. 25, “dans le caractère populaire roumain”
Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst Grand Caprice on Der Erlkönig for Solo Violin Op. 26

Final
Sergei Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major Op. 19

Share: