Violinist and pedagogue Masuko Ushioda has died at the age of
71. For almost 40 years she taught at the New England Conservatory
in Boston, Massachusetts.
Born in Japan, Ushioda originally studied at the Toho Gakuen
Academy and the Leningrad Conservatory before beginning private
studies with Joseph Szigeti. In 1963 she came sixth at the Queen
Elisabeth International Music Competition, and three years later
received the joint second prize (with Oleg Kagan) at the
International Tchaikovsky Competition.
In 1971 Ushioda married cellist Laurence Lesser, with whom she
frequently performed as a duo; they also performed string trios
with violist Scott Nickrenz. She joined the faculty of the New
England Conservatory in 1974, where Lesser also taught until his
retirement in 1996. Ushioda recorded chamber and orchestral works
for Philips and Sony, and performed frequently in Europe, North and
South America, and in Russia.
Photo: Masuko Ushioda and Laurence Lesser, taken by Christian Steiner
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