Death of an international pianist, 46

Death of an international pianist, 46

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norman lebrecht

December 20, 2017

The Finnish pianist Henri Sigfridsson has posted sad news of the death of his wife and duo partner, Akiko.

Akiko Sigfridsson (b. 29.8.1971 -d. 20.12.2017)

Dear friends and colleagues,

my beloved wife and our beloved mother has passed away. We are eternally grateful to her and will always love her.

Henri, Juhani (14) and Toni (10) Sigfridsson

Bio:

Akiko Sigfridsson was born in Kamakura, Japan. She started playing the piano at the age of four. In 1987 she entered the Tokyo-Geidai University high school and studied under professor Midori Tanabe. She graduated as Master of Arts in 1998. She held her debut concert in 1991 in the Bunka-Kaikan concert hall ”young talent” series. In 1995 she appeared as soloist with the Tokyo-Geidai Orchestra, and the same year she won the Grand Prix at the Kitakyushu Festival, as well as third prize in the international Schubert competition in Dortmund.

Between 1995 and 1998, Akiko studied with Willem Brons at the Amsterdam conservatory. From 2000 to 2002 she studied with Professor Herbert Seidel at the Frankfurt Music Academy and between 2003 and 2007 she studied lied performance with Professor Jürgen Glauss at the Cologne Music Academy, as well as participated in the voice and violin classes as pianist. In 2006, she and her husband Henri Sigfridsson won the piano duo competition in Wuppertal. Akiko Sigfridsson has given solo concerts and chamber concerts in Japan, The Netherlands, Germany, Finland, Italy and Switzerland.

Comments

  • Jeffrey Biegel says:

    So sorry for this news, and for Henri and their children. There are no words for this tragedy, but we can only pray that her spirit will embrace them for all their lives. Hopefully, there will be recordings left by Akiko as a legacy representing her musical life.

  • John Borstlap says:

    Terrible tragedy, and what a marvellous musician she was – as this video shows. And what a marvellous movement this is, offering consoling for the wounds inflicted by life.

  • Geda K. I says:

    R.I.P.

  • Violy McCausland says:

    The world around one stops when one is listening to a musical talent like Akiko, yet the greatest tragedy is the loss of a young mother and wife. Mi sentido pésame y bendiciones.

  • Taija Impilä says:

    I’m deaply sorry to hear that Akiko has passed away I had opportunity to meet her few years ago in Hösel. I was a foreign and she was very friendly and nice to me. I wish strength for her family and especially for boys who I met too.
    Wishes, Taija Impilä from Finland

  • Gabriele Wingen says:

    Akiko war ein lieber Mensch, eine großartige Mutter, eine wunderbare Köchin und Gastgeberin und tolle Künstlerin! Gott möge ihre Familie, ihre Eltern und ihre Seele beschützen!

  • True Science says:

    Nice article. Like Henri Poincaré once said “It is by intuition that we discover and by logic we prove.”

    http://logicalscience.com

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