The celebrated Japanese pianist, Harumi Hanafusa, will make her long-awaited American debut

The celebrated Japanese pianist, Harumi Hanafusa, will make her long-awaited American debut at Weill Recital Hall on Saturday, January 15th at 8:30 p.m. Known for her kaleidoscopic repertoire including classic, romantic and modern works, this one-night only concert presented by Robin Radin Productions features the world premiere of a major new work for piano by the leading Japanese composer, Toshi Ichiyanagi. Further, she will focus on works by French composers, including Ravel’s Gaspard de la Nuit and La Valse; and Debussy’s Images I and II.

Her piano concertos of Mozart, Beethoven, Ravel and Tchaikovsky are widely known and she is recognized as one of the best performers of French music.

Harumi Hanafusa has been a major figure in the piano world of Japan, performing regularly as a soloist with Japan’s major orchestras, including the NHK Symphony Orchestra and the Tokyo Philharmonic, and in frequent recital and chamber music concerts. Her London recitals and concerto performances, which were broadcast by the BBC in 1993, opened the door for regular appearances in Europe, as well. With her sister Mami Hanafusa, she also performs in Japan as a member of The Hanafusa Sisters Piano Duo.

She received her advanced musical education in Paris at the Conservertoire National Superieure de Musique on scholarship from the French government. Following completion of her studies, in 1975 she won top prize in the Gyorgy Cziffre International Piano Competition and was a finalist in the Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition in Belgium.