HIROMI OKADA
piano The distinguished internationally renowned Japanese pianist, Hiromi Okada, returns to the Wigmore Hall to play works by Beethoven and Debussy. Following his Wigmore debut recital in 1985, Hilary Finch referred in The Times to Okada’s “technique of massive assurance, imaginatively developed to articulate a passionately engaged musical understanding”. The American Liszt Society described his Liszt recital in The Great Romantics Festival (2000) as “amazing” [Hugh Fraser, Hamilton Spectator] “seldom heard such clarity of detail, range of dynamic expression and powerful drama brought together in music. The audience not only moved by Okada’s emotional expressiveness were also awed by his technical powers”. In 2002 Okada was the soloist with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra in Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.3 (The Great Romantics Festival, 2002). Okada’s inclusion of the Yashiro Sonata in his Wigmore Hall recital of February 2003 followed the release in November 2002 of his NAXOS recording of Yashiro’s Piano Concerto with the Ulster Orchestra conducted by Takuo Yuasa. Okada has no rival in performing contemporary music in Japan , recent performances there included the World Première of Israeli composer Ari Ben-Shabetai’s Piano Concerto, the première of Kondo’s Piano Quartet and Miyoshi’s Piano Concerto with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. Bela Bernard, Arietta, described Okada’s Camerata CD of Beethoven’s Hammerklavier Sonata as “an achievement that affirms (Okada as) a Beethoven pianist of the first order. Phenomenal dexterity, crystalline textures and assured structural projection are qualities integral to Beethoven performance especially where the monumental Hammerklavier is concerned”. Okada performs and records regularly in Japan and Austria with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Piano Trio. Later this year, Camerata will release a recording of the Brahms Horn Trio coupled with the Clarinet Trio in which Okada performs with Stransky (Hrn.), Schmidt (Cl.), Varga (Vc.) and Wächter (Vn.) – all principal players of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. In April 2005, Okada will record Hayasaka’s Piano Concerto for NAXOS with Jablonsky and the Russia Philharmony Orchestra. His numerous recordings have attracted international acclaim and ecstatic reviews. His Yashiro Piano Concerto disc received the “Listeners Award” in the Record-Geijutsu magazine, the Japanese equivalent of Gramophone. Hiromi Okada has performed at numerous international festivals including Mayfest (Glasgow); La Rogue d’Antheron ( France ); The Great Romantics Festival ( Hamilton , Canada ); Asian Music Week; Tokyo Summer Festival; Istanbul International Piano Festival and Philharmonic Week ( Steinbach , Austria ). Jan 2005 J Audrey Ellison International Artists' Management Member of International Artist Managers’ Association 135 Stevenage Road, Fulham, London, SW6 6PB, U.K. Tel: +44 (0)20 7381 9751 Fax: +44 (0)20 7381 2406 E-Mail: Audrey@Ellison-Intl.Freeserve.co.uk Cellists Cello & Organ/Harpsichord Chamber Ensembles Cimbalom Composers Conductors Euphonium Guitarists Harpists Harpsichord Orchestras Organists Pianists Piano Accompanists Piano Duo Violinists Violists Baritone Soprano Tenor Vocal Ensembles Lecturers |