Professor Hideo Saito, the professor of Seiji Ozawa who established the famous Saito Memorial Orchestra and named it after his master, commented on Rinko Kobayashi's performance when he heard her playing Concerto in A major by Liszt "She will become one of the few soloists who can lead orchestras with her charisma". Jan Weber wrote in Ruch Muzyczny "... She is a genuine pianist with outstanding skill ... playing Rachmaninov with demonlike fervour, releasing a veritable storm over the keyboard, all the while in perfect agreement with the composers intentions..." I had been unable to work out the complexity of the Sonata even while listening to pianists such as Ogdon, Cliburn or Horovitz. Rinko Kobayashi showed a superb grasp of the Sonata, revealing an absolute command of the piano. But Rinko Kobayashis feature is not only her passionate side, but also her subtle sensitivity not to speak of colourful and beautiful tones. Nowadays, very few pianists touch your heart with their performance. But Rinko Kobayashi is one of such pianists whose excellent technique never disturbs the music flowing directly from the heart. After her recitals, and especially when she plays Beethoven, the audience find themselves in tears and say they went all with goose bumps. She herself says her playing is her praying to God. At the age of five, as a wonder girl, she had regular weekly performances on the radio and television to a very enthusiastic audience. She studied with such renowned professors as Motonari Iguchi, Mieczyslaw Munz, Edward Auer and Andrzej Jasinski. She achieved her first success by winning the competition for laureates of the NHK-Mainichi Music Competitions in 1973 and at the F.Chopin Competition where she received a diploma and a special award. From that moment she began her international career.

She has been giving recitals and playing with orchestras virtually in all European countries, at Wigmore Hall in London, the special concert for the 50th Anniversary of the Chopin Society in Warsaw, the solemn concert on the occasion of the official visit of the Queen of Denmark Margerete II to Poland, and she has also participated in the International Meisterkonzerte series in Vienna, to name only a few. She has also played at Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall where she got standing ovation from the full house. From 1987 until its dissolution, she had been the soloist for the Warsaw Radio and TV Chamber Orchestra. Regular annual tours throughout Poland and frequent visits to her native Japan add up to her schedule of over 50 concerts a year. She has been invited to a number of international Festivals. She made many recordings for radio and television in Europe, USA and Japan, as well as many disques. In 1999, she recorded Roman Maciejewskis works, which was the world first recording, and it was nominated for The Fryderyk Prize in the department of contemporary music. Later that year, her Chopin Forever CD became the first Gold CD (sold 10000 CD) as a classical piano music on CD in Poland. In 2000, it was followed by the first Platinum CD (sold 20000 CD) as a classical piano solo recording in Poland. In 1988, she was awarded LOrdre du Merite Culturel by Polish Minister of Culture for her popularisation of Chopins music in the world. In 2002, she was awarded Knight Cross by president of Republic of Poland.

Biography