Mitsuko Shirai

Mitsuko Shirai (born 28 May 1947) is a Japanese mezzo-soprano and music professor.

Biography Born in Nagano, Shirai first trained in Tokyo before settling in Germany, where she completed her vocal studies with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. Between 1973 and 1976, she took prizes in competitions at Vienna, Zwickau, 's-Hertogenbosch, Athens, and Munich. She made her recital début in Tokyo in 1975, her European début in Amsterdam the following year. Conductors include Riccardo Chailly, Eliahu Inbal, Yuri Ahronovitch, Ferencic and Wolfgang Sawallisch.

She has presented masterclasses at the Savonlinna Opera Festival, the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, and the Aldeburgh Festival, as well as in Switzerland, the USA, and at Isaac Stern's Jerusalem Music Centre.

Selected discography Haydn: Arianna a Naxos; English Canzonettas (1990) Camerata Records 2x Winterreise (1991) Capriccio Records Othmar Schoeck: Das Holde Bescheiden (1993) Claves Lieder mit Viola (Songs with Viola) (1995) Capriccio Records Schubert-Edition: Die Schöne Müllerin; Winterreise (1997) Capriccio Records Schumann: Frauenliebe und –Leben, Op. 42, Liederkreis, Op. 39 (1997) Camerata Records Wolf: Mörike-Lieder (1998) Capriccio Records Norbert Burgmüller: Chamber Music (2000) MDG LiedOpera: Franz Schubert, Vol. 1, Op. 1–24 (2000) Capriccio Records Schumann: Songs/Lieder (2003) Brilliant Europäisches Liederbuch (2003) Capriccio Records Lied Edition (10 CDs) (2004) Capriccio Records Paul Dukas: Ariane et Barbe-Bleue (2011) Capriccio Records Schumann: Myrthen, Op. 25 (selections); Lenau-Lieder, Op. 90 (unknown date) Brilliant Schubert: Abendröte; Spohr: Deutsche Lieder (unknown date) Capriccio Records Wolf: Goethe-Lieder (unknown date) Capriccio Records Robert Franz: Selected Songs (unknown date) Capriccio Records Mozart: 21 Lieder (unknown date) Delta Distribution Mahler: Lieder (unknown date) Capriccio Records Franz Schubert: Lieder (unknown date) Capriccio Records Richard Strauss: Ausgewählte Lieder (unknown date) Capriccio Records Hölderlin Gesänge (1994) Capriccio Records Schönberg: Ausgewählte Lieder (unknown date) Capriccio Records Schumann-Lieder (unknown date) Capriccio Records Schubert: Winterreise, D 911 (unknown date) Capriccio Records Alban Berg: Lieder, 1900–1925 (unknown date) Capriccio Records Schumann: Liederkreis, Op. 39 (unknown date) Capriccio Records Brahms: 21 Lieder (unknown date) Capriccio Records Webern: Early Songs, Op. 3, 4, 12 (unknown date) Capriccio Records Franz Liszt: 16 Lieder (unknown date) Capriccio Records Wolf: Songs with Orchestra (2012), Capriccio 5101–four orchestral songs of Wolf with the Berlin Radio Orchestra and David Shallon

Footnotes

Prizes 1982 Robert-Schumann-Preis

1996 Großen Idemitsu-Musikpreis

1997 ABC International Music Award

2008 “Verdienstmedaille am violetten Band“ donated by the Emperor of Japan

2010 Bundesverdienstkreuz

2018 “The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette” donated by the Emperor of Japan regarding her engagement for the German Lied and culture

2018 Ehrendoktorwürde by the University of Victoria / Canada (Dr. honoris causa)