Mayumi Hirasaki
began to study the violin in her homeland at the State University of the Fine Arts and Music in Tokyo. In 2001 she went to Germany to study with Professor Daniel Gaede at the Academy of Music in Nuremberg-Augsburg, where she gained her diploma with distinction and was also awarded her master-class diploma. While still studying she was given a teaching appointment at this institute.

Her enthusiasm for early music prompted her to study Baroque violin at the Academy of Music and Theatre in Munich under Professor Mary Utiger and subsequently at the Lucerne Academy of Music under Professor Giuliano Carmignola. She also passed the examination for church musicians in the archbishopric of Bamberg and then studied harpsichord as her main subject in Munich under Professor Christine Schornsheim.

Mayumi Hirasaki has won prizes at several competitions in Japan and Europe, including the International J. S. Bach Competition in Leipzig and the Competition for Early Music in Bruges, Belgium. She has been leader of the Concerto Köln since 2011 where she has worked together with conductors and soloists such as Peter Dijkstra, Andrea Marcon, Pablo Heras-Casado, Hans-Christoph Rademann, Giuliano Carmignola, Dorothee Oberlinger, Midori Seiler, Simone Kermes, Vivica Genaux and Valer Sabadus. Mayumi Hirasaki also gives frequent guest appearances with various Baroque orchestras and ensembles such as the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, the Dresden Festival Orchestra, the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, the Basle Chamber Orchestra, the Gaechinger Cantorey Stuttgart, The King’s Consort, the Neue Düsseldorfer Hofmusik, Collegium Cartusianum, La Divina Armonia, Il Suonar Parlante and Il Gardellino, performing in Europe, the USA and Japan.

Her partners in chamber music include artists such as Christine Schornsheim, Lorenzo and Vittorio Ghielmi, Francis Jacob, Naoki Kitaya, Marcel Ponseele, Maurice Steger and Jan de Winne.

Her extensive list of CDs includes recordings of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach (Bach in romantischer Manier with Christine Schornsheim / Genuin), the Double Concerto with Giuliano Carmignola & Concerto Köln / DG-Archiv, the Violin Concerto in E major with Lorenzo Ghielmi and La Divina Armonia/Passacaille, the 6 Brandenburg Concertos with Concerto Köln / Berlin Classics), Antonio Vivaldi’s Barbarian Beauty with Vittorio Ghielmi and Il Suonar Parlante / Passacaille) as well as Charles Avison’s Concerti grossi after Scarlatti with Concerto Köln / Berlin Classics).

Since the winter semester 2009 she has had a teaching appointment for Baroque violin and viola at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen and since October 2017 she has had a professorship for Baroque violin and viola at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg.