Michala Petri - Marie Nishiyama Release June 27th 2025
Marie Nishiyama
Harp
The Japanese harpsichordist and harpist, Marie Nishiyama is one of Japan’s most respected early music specialists. She began studying piano at age 3 and would go on to receive a diploma in piano and a master’s
degree in harpsichord from Tokyo Music University where she studied under Yoshio Watanabe (harpsichord) and Yoshiko Ueda (organ).
Her interest in early music led her to the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Switzerland to study with Andreas Staier, Jörg-Andreas Bötticher, Rinaldo Alessandrini and Nicolau de Figueiredo (harpsichord), Heidrun Rosenzweik and Mara Galassi (historical harp), Jesper Christensen (Basso continuo and ensemble performance), and Pedro Memelsdorff (medieval ensemble). She further pursued her Baroque harp studies with Mara Galassi at Scuola di Musica Civica di Milano.
In 1997 she received 1st prize in the Early Music Kofu in Japan. Among other awards and accolades, she won 1st prize at the 11th Yamanashi Early Music Festival for her harpsichord performance.
Marie Nishiyama’s concert activity has led her to appearances throughout Europe, Brazil and the USA.
She is regularly invited to participate in international festivals and recordings for radio and television, both as a soloist and with the most prestigious orchestras and chamber groups (Concerto Vocale, René Jacobs, Crawford Young, Ferrara Ensemble amongst many others). She is a member of the early music ensemble Anthonello and an accomplished international soloist on both harpsichord and historical harp.
Marie Nishiyama’s extensive discography includes several solo recordings, both in Japan and internationally. Her highly acclaimed original recording Taner Fantasia - Spanish keyboard music, released 1999 in Japan, made its Spanish release in 2003 on the Enchiriadis label and was a Critic’s Choice. Each of her solo albums, Dance du Roy et Chanson (renaissance harp), Lamento di Tristano (medieval gothic harp), Jupiter - Les orages des passions - Forqueray Pieces de Clavecin and J.S. Bach French Suites (harpsichord) have received enthusiastic reviews.
She has recorded for Fauxbordon and ALM Records (Japan), Symphonia (Italy), BIS (Sweden), Harmonia Mundi (France) and Enchiriadis (Spain). Since 2007, she has released a series of J.S. Bach’s main keyboard works under the Anthonello label.