Hiro Takenouchi & Friends

Dunja Lavrova (violin)
Ashok Klouda (cello)
Hiro Takenouchi (piano)

Catoire Piano Trio in F minor Op.14
Tchaikovsky Piano Trio in A minor Op.50

Find out more about the performers and repertoire by downloading the evening’s programme.

Pre-concert recital at 5.30pm in the Main Hall:

Hiro Takenouchi and Dunja Lavrova perform Catoire’s Violin Sonata No.2 Op.20 ‘Poème’

Heralded by The Times as “just the sort of champion the newest of new music needs”, while being praised as “impeccable in his pianism and unfailing in his idiomatic grasp” by Gramophone, Takenouchi’s curiosity and a natural penchant for integrity makes his playing and vast repertoire unique amongst his generation of pianists: his love for the music of classical masters – particularly Haydn, Beethoven and Chopin – sits side by side with his passion for the music of Medtner, lesser-known British composers such as Sterndale Bennett and Parry, and the contemporary repertoire.

As a soloist, he has appeared on many concert platforms including the Wigmore Hall, Tokyo Opera City, the South Bank Centre. He has also performed at festivals in Bath, Cheltenham and Salzburg and given recitals in the UK, Japan, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Portugal, Italy and Canada. His more unusual recent appearances include piano solo works by Sterndale Bennett specially recorded for BBC Radio 3’s Composer of the Week programme, the Rarities of Piano Repertoire Festival in Husum (Germany) and the BBC Four documentary The Prince and the Composer on the life and music of Parry alongside HRH The Prince of Wales.

Takenouchi’s discography includes Haydn: 4 Sonatas (Artalinna), Cosmos Haptic: Contemporary Piano Music from Japan (LORELT) as well as the world première recordings of works by James Dillon (NMC), Edwin Roxburgh (NMC) and Jeremy Dale Roberts (LORELT). 2012 saw a further release: a highly acclaimed disc of piano concertos by Catoire and Sherwood (another world première recording) with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (Dutton Epoch).

Since 2012 Takenouchi has been teaching piano at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (Glasgow). He also returns every summer to give masterclasses at the Poros International Piano Academy (Greece) and Ingenium International Music Academy (UK).

hiroakitakenouchi.com

Photo of Hiro Takenouchi (c) Benjamin Ealovega