Aya Hamada
Principal Harpsichord
The ProMusica Board Chair
in memory of Ida Copenhaver
Praised for her “graceful” (The New York Times) and “acrobatic finesse” (Early Music Magazine) performances, harpsichordist Aya Hamada is an active recitalist, concerto soloist and continuo player. She has given recitals in major venues throughout Japan as well as in the US, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, England, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Switzerland, including recitals for the Peñíscola International Festival of Medieval and Baroque Music (Spain), Mardis du Ruckers (Switzerland), Music Before 1800 (New York), Da Camera Society (Los Angeles), Harpsichord Heaven at Flint Collection (Wilmington) and at the Quebec Government Office (Canada). She also serves as a jury member for the Early Music Division of the Osaka International Music Competition.
She has made over four dozen appearances as concerto soloist on four continents, and has performed under conductors William Christie, Jordi Savall, Harry Bicket, Nicholas McGegan and Masaaki Suzuki. The New York Times proclaimed “Ms. Hamada gave a deft account of Handel’s Concerto” about her performance with Christie at Lincoln Center. In the Brandenburg Fifth, she “defined the torrent of notes beautifully for the ear, while never sacrificing virtuosity; her illuminating playing drew well-deserved cheers”. Others have praised her “flawless technique” (The Boston Globe), and “sensitive and dramatic interpretations” (The Fanfare Magazine).
Critically acclaimed for her CD recordings (“Jacques Duphly: Pièces de clavecin”, “J.S.Bach: Clavier-Übung II & Chaconne” and “J.S.Bach: Goldberg Variations”), her work has been recognized with “Best Recording of the Year” in The American Record Guide, “Recording of the Month” in The MusicWeb International, The Record Geijutsu Magazine and The Tokyo FM Music Bird, as well as “5 Diapasons” from France’s Diapason Magazine.
She won first prize in the London Music Festival Competition, second prize in the Josef Hofmann Piano Competition, and is a laureate of the Royaumont Foundation (France). She earned her Master of Music degree in the inaugural class of Historical Performance from The Juilliard School where she was awarded the Irene Diamond Fellowship and the Heward Memorial Scholarship. She studied under Kenneth Weiss in New York and Skip Sempé in Paris and has received additional coaching from Pierre Hantaï and Christophe Rousset.
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