“There is more to playing the piano than just hitting the right notes,” says world-class pianist Hiroaki Takenouchi.
Described by The Times as “just the sort of champion the newest of new music needs”, Takenouchi’s brilliant performances have gained him the highest praise by critics and classical music lovers across the globe.
Thirty-six-year-old Takenouchi is unique amongst a rising generation of inspirational musicians. His flawless style and masterly interpretation have made him a much sought-after musicians and he has performed on many of the world’s great concert platforms, including the Wigmore Hall, Tokyo Opera City, the South Bank Centre, the Fairfield Halls, Hamburg Laeiszhalle and Steinway Halls in London, Hamburg and Tokyo. He has also performed at festivals in Bath, Cheltenham and Salzburg and has given recitals in the UK, Japan, Austria, Germany, Portugal and Italy
Originally from Japan and now based in London, Takenouchi moved to Indonesia with his parents when he was a boy. It was here he was given his first piano lesson.
“As a foreign child, I was not allowed to go out in the street,” he said. “My sister and I were very bored and so we asked for piano lessons. My sister lasted five years, while I went on to carve a career out of it.”
Takenouchi’s popularity undoubtedly lies in his unique approach to the music. He has come a long way in the 20 years he has been performing.
“In my earlier performances, I would play a familiar piece but realised there was something more important to the music that I wasn’t seeing.
“I no longer focus on the surface,” he said. “Instead I seek an emotional connection between the music, the musician and the audience so that everyone feels something special.”
He explained: “I am very interested in researching the background of composers and trying to discover the reasons why they wrote a particular piece of music. Like most ordinary people, composers are driven by emotion which pervades their music. I like to get those feelings across to the audience: to share the message behind each individual piece.
“Classical music programmes are normally performed in dimly lit rooms with little movement by the musician and audience. I feel it is important to let people experience the composition as a whole. You don’t have to be an expert to be able to appreciate a particular piece of music. If the music is good enough, that message should come through.”
Absolute Classics is delighted to bring this inspiring pianist to four venues in Dumfries and Galloway for its January series.
On Thursday, 22 January, at 7.30pm, he will play at the Buccleuch Centre, Langholm; Friday, 23 January, 7.30pm, he will appear at Annan Academy Performing Arts Centre; Saturday, 24 January, 7.30pm, at Kirkcudbright Parish Church’ and Sunday, 25 January, 3.30pm, he will perform at the Buccleuch and Queensberry Arms, Thornhill.
The programmes include works by, amongst many others, Haydn, Chopin, Greig, Beethoven, Helen Hopkirk, Prokoviev, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms and Debussy.
Tickets on the door or in advance from www.absoluteclassics.co.uk
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