Anna Hashimoto

November 2010 has proved an exciting month for Anna Hashimoto. She entered the 1st International Clarinet Competition in Kortrijk, Belgium, and won first prize. This is a competition of considerable international importance, open to players of up to 35 years of age. There was a 14-man judging panel including some very famous international names including Karl Leister, ex-principal clarinet of the Berlin Philharmonic, and Stanley Drucker, who was principal with the New York Philharmonic for around 50 years.

This was clearly one of the toughest clarinet competitions ever. The candidates had to prepare three hours of music including three concertos. The final itself had two stages; in the morning Anna played the Mozart Quintet with the Ciurlionis Quartet from Lithuania, and then Donatoni's Clair for solo clarinet. In the afternoon she performed the War Concerto by Dirk Brosse, with the Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra, Dirk Brosse himself conducting.

From 109 participants from 34 countries, 23 got through to the second round, eight to the semi-finals, and there were only two finalists, Anna and Valentin Uryupin from Moscow. She is the first ever Asian clarinettist to win a major clarinet competition.

I have to confess to taking some personal satisfaction from this. All the jury members are probably players of French or German clarinets but, as they were giving their approval of Anna, they were also, probably unthinkingly, giving their approval to her English instruments.

Anna Hashimoto made her Barbican Hall debut in December 2004 at the age of fifteen, playing Weber's Concertino with the English Chamber Orchestra. She has since been invited regularly as a soloist with the orchestra, most recently under the baton of Vladimir Ashkenazy. She won the Japan Clarinet Society's Young Clarinettists Competition where she was also awarded all three special prizes, and the following year was a prizewinner and the youngest competitor of the Japan Clarinet Competition.

Anna was born in Japan in 1989 and moved to London six months later. She studied at the Junior Department of the Royal College of Music with Charles Hine, where she was awarded the Else and Leonard Cross Memorial Scholarship and the Esther Coleman Prize.

Anna has appeared at London's Wigmore Hall on numerous occasions playing solo and chamber music. She has also played in the Cadogan Hall, South Bank Centre and Buckingham Palace, as well as France, Spain and Italy.

At the International ClarinetFest 2005 she had the honour of giving the Japan Premiere and a live broadcasting of Michael Daugherty's new clarinet concerto Brooklyn Bridge. There she also performed the Tartini/Jacob Concertino with the British Clarinet Ensemble with whom she has also recorded a CD of the work.

Anna has given many recitals and concerto performances. In 2006 she performed Mozart Clarinet Concerto four times, including a performance with the Japan Chamber Orchestra, and the English Chamber Orchestra. Anna gave a highly acclaimed performance of Jean Francaix's Concerto at LSO St Luke's in March 2007. Other performances include Weber, Finzi and Spohr concertos with orchestras such as the London Pro Arte Orchestra, Kyushu Symphony Orchestra and Japan Philharmonic Orchestra. She gave sold-out recitals at Tokyo's Bunka Kaikan and Kioi Hall in 2008. As a chamber musician she has collaborated with Michael Collins, Leon McCawley, Tom Poster, and the Alberni Quartet.

Anna was a student at the Purcell School and is now at the Royal Academy of Music under a full Associated Board Scholarship, where she continues to study with world-renowned soloist Michael Collins.

Anna plays on Peter Eaton International model clarinets and bassett clarinet.

"I was first introduced to Peter Eaton International clarinets by my mentor Michael Collins in 2005. If clarinets were animals, Peter Eaton's would be wild tigers compared to other makes being tame kittens. They have unlimited potential and grow with you as you mature. I feel very privileged to own one of the very few Peter Eaton International bassetts and was proud to bring it to Japan with me on Mozart's 250th Anniversary. It's so comfortable and natural to play, with huge resonance that can fill a large auditorium!"

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