Dr Kenji Fujimura

BMus (Hons), MMus (Melbourne), Grad. Dip Perf (Dist), AMusA, LMusA, LRAM, PhD (Monash)

Deputy Head, Post Graduate Coordinator, Senior Lecturer in Piano

Email: Kenji Fujimura@monash.edu
Phone: (03) 9905 9857
Fax: (03) 9905 3241
Location: Room 106, Performing Arts Centre, Building 68, Clayton Campus

Biography

Kenji Fujimura (piano) is the recipient of numerous major prizes and scholarships, and has been broadcast on many occasions as soloist and chamber musician by networks such as BBC Radio 3, ABC-FM and TV, the MBS-FM network, and Bravo! Canada.  He has been described as ‘a grand artist with a magical sound, an accomplished technique and a superb understanding of all musical styles.  He adds to this a vision of deep profundity’. 

Invitations to give concerts and masterclasses have taken Kenji throughout Europe, North America, Asia and Australasia.  During the seasons 2001-2003, Kenji was invited to give performances and masterclasses in Belgium, Canada, England, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, USA and Australia. The 2004 season included concert apperances at the International Double Reeds Society Conference, Symposium of the International Musicological Society, and the Symposium on Music in France, during which he premiered numerous works. In that same year he was also an artist in residence at the Banff Centre for the Arts (Canada) with the assistance of an Australia Council grant.

An avid supporter of both contemporary and lesser-known music, Kenji has given many premiere performances.  Kenji’s doctoral research, with the assistance of a PhD scholarship, was on the life and works of English composer William Hurlstone (1876-1906).  Current CD projects include the first recording of both the solo piano works of Hurlstone and the Violin Sonata of George Benjamin, as well as piano trios by d’Ollone, Wiren, Hurlstone and Hyde (with Trio Anima Mundi).  Recent performances have included the Australian premiere of Hurlstone’s Piano Concerto (in September 2010).

As a largely self-taught Kenji’s first compositions to receive public performances date from his secondary school years.  Kenji’s prizes include winning the 2005 William Lincer Foundation International Composition Competition (New York).  His Winter Wonderland was most recently performed by Orchestra Victoria.

Kenji pursued his tertiary studies in piano and fortepiano in Melbourne and London.  His principal teacher was Ronald Farren-Price.  As member of prizewinning London-based chamber group Trio Mondsee he performed in Europe, UK and Japan.  Kenji began teaching at the tertiary level whilst himself an undergraduate student.

Kenji is currently Deputy Head of School, Coordinator of Postgraduate Programs and Chamber Music, and Senior Lecturer in Piano/Keyboard at the School of Music-Conservatorium, Monash University.  Kenji is also an examiner for the Australian Music Examinations Board and a founding member of chamber group Trio Anima Mundi (www.trioanimamundi.com)