Garrick Ohlsson

A native of White Plains, N.Y. Garrick Ohlsson began his piano studies at the age of eight. When he won the Chopin International Piano Competition in 1970, his career took off and he began to establish himself worldwide as a musician of magisterial interpretive and technical prowess. In addition to being a master of the works of Frédéric Chopin, Mr. Ohlsson commands an enormous repertoire and is noted for his masterly performances of the works of Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert, as well as the Romantic repertoire. His repertoire of 80 concertos is unusually wide and eclectic, ranging from Haydn and Mozart to works of the 21st century.

Mr. Ohlsson is a versatile musician and a consummate chamber pianist who performs regularly with the world's leading chamber groups. Audience response to a recent "ravishing" Garrick Ohlsson encore was described as "something that sounded like primal scream therapy ... he toyed with the rhythm in a manner both free and disciplined; hitherto hidden voices sang from within the textures. The waltz sparkled and swooned, and then it was primal scream time all over again" (The Boston Globe). He now makes his home in San Francisco.

Yoko Nozaki

Since her New York City debut recital, pianist Yoko Nozaki has won consistent critical acclaim during two decades of chamber music performances, recitals, and concerts with several major American orchestras. She has also appeared at such music festivals as Mostly Mozart, Ravinia, Ojai, and Tanglewood and frequently collaborates with her husband, pianist Emanuel Ax.

Born in Tokyo, Japan, Ms. Nozaki received her first piano lessons from her mother at the age of three and a half. Soon afterward, she was accepted by the Toho School of Music to study with Aiko Iguchi. When she was 12 years old, her family immigrated to Durham, North Carolina, where she studied with Loren Withers. She subsequently became a scholarship pupil of Irwin Freundlich at The Juilliard School. A recipient of the Mary Biddle Duke Scholarship at Juilliard, Ms. Nozaki has won numerous awards, including the Music Teachers National Association Competition and the Friday Morning Music Club Competition in Washington, D.C.

More recently, Yoko Nozaki and Emanuel Ax highlighted a four-city tour in 1999-2000 with an acclaimed performance at the Freer Gallery in Washington, D.C. In 1999, the pair also toured with Jamie Laredo and the Brandenburg Ensemble, including a Celebrity Series performance at Symphony Hall in Boston. In 2001, Ms. Nozaki and Mr. Ax were joined by the percussionists Mark Damolaukis and Matt Wood for a Lincoln Center Presents Great Performers concert exploring modern music for piano and percussion. In 2002, she made her debut appearance at the Hollywood Bowl. Other recent highlights have included a performance of the Bartók Two-Piano Concerto in Lyon and Paris with Mr. Ax and the Orchestre national de Lyon under David Robertson, as well as the gala opening night of The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center's 2005-06 season, and performances with Michael Stern and the Kansas City Symphony.

Ms. Nozaki lives in New York City with her husband. They have two children together, Joseph and Sarah.