Mitsuko Shirai is a Japanese mezzo-soprano and music professor born in Japan in 1947. Shirai trained in Tokyo and Germany under Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. Between 1973 and 1976, she won prizes at competitions in Vienna, Zwickau, 's-Hertogenbosch, Athens, and Munich. Shirai made a recital debut in Tokyo in 1975 and a European debut in Amsterdam in 1976. In 1973, she formed a duo with the pianist Hartmut Höll, performing a repertoire ranging from Scarlatti to the complete vocal works of Anton Webern. Shirai made a New York debut at Carnegie Hall in 1989 performing Ravel's “Shéhérazade”. Their discography includes the albums Arianna a Naxos; English Canzonettas (1990), 2x Winterreise (1991), Lieder mit Viola (1995), Wolf: Möricke Lieder (1998), and Paul Dukas: Ariane et Barbe-Bleue (2011). Opera performances include Lucio Silla, Das Liebesverbot, and Ariane et Barbe-bleue. Shirai taught at the Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe starting in 1992. Awards include the Robert-Schumann-Preis (1982), Großen Idemitsu-Musikpreis (1996), ABC International Music Award (1997), Bundesverdienstkreuz (2010), and “The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette” (2018).
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Jubilee Edition
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Vocal Recital: Shirai, Mitsuko - Schubert, F. / Spohr, L.
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Wolf, H.: Orchestral Songs
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Vocal Recital: Shirai, Mitsuko - Schoeck, O. / Berg, A. / Hindemith, P. / Nummi, S. / Britten, B. / Webern, A. / Respighi, O. / Be
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Ullmann, V.: 5 Liebeslieder / Die Weise Von Liebe Und Tod Des Cornets Christoph Rilke / Abendphantasie
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Webern, A.: Vocal Music
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| Burgmüller: Chamber Music |
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Wolf, H.: Goethe Lieder
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Wolf, H.: Gedichte Von Eduard Morike (Excerpts)
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Mahler, G.: Lieder
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Schoenberg, A.: Lieder - Opp. 2, 3, 6, 14 / Brettl-Lieder / 4 Folksong Arrangements
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Vocal Recital: Shirai, Mitsuko - Strauss, R. / Brahms, J. / Busch, A. / Loeffler, C.M. / Dargomyzhsky, A.S. / Marx, J. / Reutter,
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Franz, R.: Lieder - Opp. 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 13, 17, 18, 24, 25, 28, 30, 33, 36, 42, 48
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Strauss, R.: Lieder
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