{{Infobox musical artist | native_name = 海老 彰子 | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1953|07|07}} | birth_place = Osaka | genre = classical music | occupation = pianist }} {{Short description|Japanese-French pianist}} {{nihongo|'''Akiko Ebi'''|海老 彰子|Ebi Akiko|born July 7, 1953}} is a Japanese-French pianist.
Ebi was born in Osaka. She studied at the Tokyo University of the Arts, and won the piano prize of the 41st Music Competition of Japan. Her international career began with her winning second prize in the 1975 Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud Competition in Paris.<ref name=CHOPIN_INST>{{cite web | author= | title=Akiko Ebi | work=The Fryderyk Chopin Institute | url=http://en.chopin.nifc.pl/chopin/persons/text/id/2884 | publisher= | date= | accessdate=21 August 2010 | archive-date=4 March 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304114650/http://en.chopin.nifc.pl/chopin/persons/text/id/2884 | url-status=dead }}</ref> She continued her studies with Aldo Ciccolini at the Conservatoire de Paris. In 1980, she won fifth prize at the X International Chopin Piano Competition, after which Martha Argerich, who was a member of the jury, took patronage over her.<ref name=VANCOUVER_CHOPIN_SOCIETY>{{cite web|title=Akiko Ebi |work=The Vancouver Chopin Society |url=http://www.chopinsociety.org/events/akiko-ebi2 |date=November 2008 |accessdate=21 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090512123115/http://www.chopinsociety.org/events/akiko-ebi2 |archivedate=May 12, 2009 }}</ref>
Ebi is one of the major pianists of our time<ref>''88 notes pour piano solo'', Jean-Pierre Thiollet, Neva Editions, 2015, {{p.|53}}. {{ISBN|978 2 3505 5192 0}}</ref> and her international career continues with performances around the world, with annual tours in Japan, and annual appearances at international music festivals including Festival de La Roque-d'Anthéron in France, the Echternach Music Festival in Luxembourg, and La Folle Journée in France.
==Recordings== Ebi has recorded works by Chopin, Brahms, Liszt, Franck and others. Among her most noteworthy recordings are the two discs "Music of Hikari Ōe" of works by the Japanese composer Hikari Ōe.
==Awards== * 1975 – second prize in the 16th Long-Thibaud Competition * 1980 – fifth prize (no fourth was awarded) in the 10th International Chopin Piano Competition * 1981 – Leeds International Piano Competition * 1993 – French government Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres, distinction<ref name=CHOPIN_INST/> * 2002 – Japanese Exxon-Mobile Music Prize<ref name=CHOPIN_INST/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ebi, Akiko}} Category:Japanese classical pianists Category:Japanese women pianists Category:21st-century French women classical pianists Category:21st-century French classical pianists Category:1953 births Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Osaka Category:Long-Thibaud-Crespin Competition prize-winners Category:Prize-winners of the International Chopin Piano Competition Category:Japanese emigrants to France