Kanako ABE

Biography

Born in Osaka in a family of artists, Kanako ABE got in touch with music at a very early age.
From the young age of 2, the precocious child starts playing the piano as well as begining her career as a child singer, performing especially in musical comedies and in advertising spots broadcasted on radio and on television.
Following all her music studies, she also arranges Japanese songs into different forms : another version of "Sakura" for a big choir, including Japanese drums and piano, which was performed at Carnegie Hall in New York 1994. Despite, remaining loyal to her classical music vocation, she opts for the composition at the University of Beaux Arts and music in Tokyo.

Once after her composition diploma was achieved, she received several prizes in France at the Paris Conservatory (Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris) in subjects such as analysis, writing, piano accompaniment and orchestration. Aside from these honorable achievements, she obtained the superior diploma of orchestral conducting. Her conducting studies were completed by attending the Master-level classes with orchestral conductors like Peter Eotvös, Arie Van Beek, Pascal Rophé and Janos Fürst.
At the same time, the role of assistant-conductor entrusted her with big productions, notably Orpheus in the Underworld in February 2005, and composition workshop of CNSM of Paris in October the same year.

She has already conducted the Orchestre National d'Ile de France, Orchestre National de Montpellier, Orchestre d'Auvergne, Orchestre Régional Bayonne Côte-Basque, Orchestre National de Lorraine, Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice, Orchestre National de Lille, Orchestre des étudiants du CNSM de Paris, Ensemble Zéllig, Smash Ensemble and also the Ensemble Itinéraire at the 50th anniversary festival of Biennale in Venise 2006.

In the season of 2008-2009, as an assistant-conductor, she takes part in lyric and symphonic productions at Monpellier National Opera (Opéra National de Montpellier).
(Aïda,La Vedova scaltra, Faust, Bleu Beard's castle, Falstaff, Magic Flute ...)
Enrique Mazzola,Alain Altinoglu, Claude Schnitzler, Friedemann Layer , Lawrence Foster are the conductors whom she assisted. Additionally, she assisted Jerzy Semkow for Brahms symphony recordings.

She has worked with several accomplished composers like Martin Matalon, Jonathan Harvey, Michaël Lévinas, Régis Campo, Bruno Mantovani, Yann Robin and even with very well-known soloists like Emmanuelle Bertrand and David Guerrier.
She currently performs all over Europe and Asia at widely known concert halls like Cairo Opera, Madrid Auditorium and Théâtre de Champs-Elysees, along with various festivals such as Normandy October Festival, Venice Biennale Festival, along with Monts de la Madeleine Festival.

On top of it, she is the Music Director of Multilaterale Chamber Orchestra. Chamber Orchestra became known as soon as it was created a few years ago.

Her discography includes Toru TAKEMITSU's piano solo piece (Mandala/ Harmonia Mundi 2002) Monograph of Régis campo 1999, 2002 and 2004 as a conductor and a pianist, a monographic recording, and a DVD of Colin Roche interpreted by Multilateral Chamber Orchestra under her leadership published in June 2007.