Interviews

When did you start learning the piano?

Although we don’t have a musician in our family, I apparently enjoyed listening to music from around the time I was 2 or 3 years old. Seeing that, my grandmother announced that she would buy me a piano, then we went together to a musical instrument store where she chose a piano. My grandmother has a great passion for music, so much that she actually began learning how to play the piano together with me.

What was your first experience with a concerto?

Beethoven’s No.3 when I was 14 years old.

Why was it that you decided to choose the Sendai International Music Competition from among so many other competitions out there?

The greatest appeal to me was the fact that contestants can perform together with an orchestra 3 times. Another reason is that I was also interested in Japan and wanted to see Japan with my own eyes and experience Japanese culture first-hand. I am incredibly grateful to everyone who treated me so well while I was in Sendai.

The piece that you played during the final, Mozart’s Piano Concerto in C major, K503 is one of the more subdued works from his later period concertos, so why is it that you chose this piece?

This piece is overflowing with an endless amount of pure beauty which makes it a favorite of mine. It expresses incredibly rich coloration and the tonality shifts beautifully with each change in key. I adore the 2nd movement in particular. It is an absolute pleasure to simply practice this piece and I enjoyed picking out the different parts while performing together with the orchestra. And of course, this was the first time I had the opportunity to perform this piece with an orchestra.

Please share the reason you chose Prokofiev’s Concerto No.2.

When I first heard this concerto at the age of 11 or 12, I received quite a shock as the piece seemed like a monster to me. I’ve been listening to it ever since and have been drawn in ever deeper by its combative image, or perhaps even its dark side. I also love its cadenza which lasts for 5 entire minutes, and really everything about this piece is just fantastic. When performing together with an orchestra in Sendai, I felt a sense of unity with the other musicians on stage. I am grateful to have experienced performing it during an actual concert 2 times for the Final Round and Prizewinners’ Gala Concert.

As you are currently a student of DANG Thai Son, could you please share some advice he has given you?

His mind is always filled with music, and he continually tells me that I should strive to deliver the absolute best music to whomever is listening. More concretely, his teachings emphasize “voicing” and specific instructions for how to create those parts. He says they should be shaped with beautiful tones which suit each piece and phrase. One more thing that he has taught me from the very moment I began studying under him is detailed guidance for pedaling. He taught that the way in which one pedals can create entirely different music, with it being necessary to make changes not only according to the piece, but to the hall as well. Not only does he speak to me of music, but about life itself as well.

What do you find to be important for actual performances and in what way do you study?

When putting together a piece, I believe it is important to imagine it in its entirety while also keeping the small details in mind. As a pianist needs to need to constantly be mindful of what the orchestra is doing in the case of a concerto, I study the full score without exception. I also value communication with the orchestra, as from the point of rehearsing with the orchestra I will have a plan in place for how to confirm various things such as the tempo and timing, along with how we will come together at every moment. After the rehearsal, I listen to the recording and review it.

What kind of repertoire are you wishing to put together in the future?

I’ve always loved listening to Mozart. After playing his pieces myself, I’ve felt certain sections to be tricky and rather difficult. I also have an interest in Alkan’s piano works and would like to play contemporary music. Additionally, I wish to incorporate works composed by my friends or other newcomers and play them after talking to the composer themself.

If you could choose from among the orchestras and conductors of the entire world the next time you perform a concerto, who would you pick?

I would like to perform together with Maestro TAKASEKI Ken and the Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra, who provided spectacular support during the Competition.