Tamami Honma, Japan/United Kingdom

Over a career spanning seventeen US states, Western and Eastern Europe, the Middle and Far East, Tamami Honma has appeared in some of the world's greatest institutions such as the Bolshoi Hall in Moscow (as soloist with the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra), the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, the Wigmore Hall and St John's Smith Square in London, the Warsaw Autumn Festival, Aldeburgh Festival and Gaida Festival. In radio and television broadcasts in the USA, UK, Poland and Lithuania, Ms Honma has partnered many distinguished orchestras and chamber groups such as the Kreutzer and Vilnius Quartets, and the Lithuanian National Philharmonic and State Symphony Orchestras, since her youthful appearances in her home state with the Utah Valley Orchestra (for her concerto début aged seven), Mormon Youth Orchestra and the Utah Symphony Orchestra.

A pupil in Utah of her mother - Chiyo Honma-Milovich - Paul Pollei and Gary Amano, Ms Honma, who now herself teaches at the Royal Academy of Music in London, had already won first prizes in the tri-annual Gina Bachauer Junior International Competition, Stravinsky Awards International Competition, Isabel Scionti International Competition, Young Keyboard Artists' Association Competition (National Level) and MTNA-Yamaha Competition (National Level) before she moved on to New York City to become one of a very few chosen by legendary pianist Byron Janis - himself a student of Vladimir Horowitz and the Lhevinnes - to become his protégé, so sealing her ties with the romantic tradition.

Ms Honma's long string of accolades for recordings, such as her notable series of John McCabe's solo piano and chamber music and Second Piano Concerto, include a Gramophone Award nomination (2002), Editor's Choice (2004) and Critics' Choice (2004) in Gramophone magazine (United Kingdom).

In addition to giving masterclasses, teaching, recording, adjudicating and performing, Ms Honma's promotion particularly of British, Japanese and Lithuanian contemporary music have helped earn her recognition in her role as an ambassador of cultural exchange between the UK, Lithuania, Japan and the USA.

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