I hope you are enjoying the spring!

I am performing Schumann’s Piano Trio No.3, Op. 110 with violinist Yuna Lee and cellist Sébastien Gingras of the San Francisco Symphony at the The Chancellor’s Concert Series at UCSF on Thursday, April 10th. This program will be repeated on Sunday, April 20th, at the Chamber Music Sundaes at Crowden School in Berkeley.

The trio No.3 is the last of the three trios Schumann wrote. It was composed in 1851, when Schumann was 41 years old. A hauntingly beautiful and introverted composition, it inspires me to learn more about Schumann’s late works and his life during those difficult and unhappy years.

The Chancellor’s Concert Series will be streamed live. So for those of you who cannot attend the concert in person, please check the UCSF website here!

It was such a great pleasure performing Tchaikovsky’s Piano Trio “In Memory of a Great Artist” last Sunday at the San Francisco Symphony’s Chamber Music Concert. Thank all of you who attended.

This trio by Tchaikovsky was dedicated to his close friend and mentor Nikolai Rubinstein, and is a monumental composition expressing a full spectrum of emotions and nostalgic memories of his beloved lost friend, Nikolai. Moreover, I felt so fortunate to have the opportunity to perform it with wonderful musicians like Yukiko Kurakata and Amos Yang of the San Francisco Symphony. This was truly a concert that I will never forget.

I hope this has been a wonderful year for all of you!

I will perform at San Francisco Symphony’s chamber music series at the Davies Symphony Hall on October 13 at 2pm. I am thrilled to be performing the great Piano Trio by Tchaikovsky with violinist Yukiko Kurakata and cellist Amos Yang. For those of you in the area, I would love it if you could come!

I cannot believe how fast time goes. 2013 has just several months left.
It has been such an adventurous and special year for me – In February, I played my debut concert with the San Francisco Symphony’s Chamber Music Series, and later in the spring, I toured Japan and Taiwan with the legendary cellist Christine Walevska.

I am grateful to be able to perform for new audiences in various cities that I have never seen before. It is a source of tremendous inspiration for me.

Last Sunday, I performed the Brahms Piano Quartet No.3 in c minor with violinist Sarn Oliver, violist Matthew Young, and cellist Sébastien Gingras at Davies Symphony Hall.

It was an amazing journey to work with these accomplished artists of the SF Symphony and the intensity of the Brahms left me breathless and excited, as it did to my fellow performers. This season my concert programs feature many great chamber music works of Brahms, nonetheless, his piano quartet No.3 is perhaps the magnum opus of the fiery young Brahms.

Here is a favorable review from the San Francisco Examiner: “SFS chamber musicians offer two major classics and a recent curiosity”

Happy New Year!
I flew back from snowbound Tokyo where I played my annual solo recital on Jan. 6.
Except for the snow drama on the last day, my stay in Japan was as wonderful as ever.

My next performance will be at Davies Symphony Hall on Feb. 3. I am playing the Brahms Piano Quartet no. 3, op.60 with violinist Sarn Oliver, violist Matthew Young, and cellist Sébastien Gingras. It is such an honor to play with the distinguished members of the San Francisco Symphony.

As an avid fan of the orchestra, I have attended their concerts numerous times, and am thrilled by this ensemble’s unique and vibrant personality, while familiarizing myself with its vast symphonic repertoire. This Orchestra has also been my inspiration for learning more new music through their innovative programming, reach–out programs, and their personnel of world-class musicians of the 21st century.

Tickets for their february 3rd concert are available online here. Also, from January 17 to 24, the SF Symphony is offering a 1/2 price ticket sale. All seats are only $20. Other selected concerts are on sale too, and I hope you will take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.

I hope to see you at the concert!

Thank you for joining me for the “Epic Miniature” recital at San Francisco Conservatory last Sunday. The recital hall was filled to capacity despite the rain.

It was always a pleasure to perform for the residents of the Bay Area, as this community is a home away from home for me, and without your support I could not have survived my early years in the U.S.A. at the age of 15.

A special thanks to Mr. Jun Seita, who organized this event, and all my wonderful friends whose  support and encouragement enabled this recital to take place.

May this holiday season bring you and your families all the best, both in health and happiness.

I cordially invite you to my piano solo recital in San Francisco. This is a “sister recital” to the series which I have been playing in Tokyo since 2009, made possible by the generous support of my Bay Area friends.  It is an honor and great pleasure to play a recital in my second home— San Francisco. The concert is admission free, but any donation is greatly appreciated. So please reserve your seat as soon as possible, as I look forward to seeing you there and do say hello to me after the concert!

Piano Solo Recital: ”Epic Miniatures”

5 pm on December 16th, 2012
San Francisco Conservatory Recital Hall
50 Oak Street  San Francisco, CA 94102
Admission Free (We welcome your donations at the event)

Please join me to experience the microscopic and macroscopic genius of these musical masterpieces: Johannes Brahms’ Eight Pieces for Piano, Op. 76 (excerpt); Robert Schumann’s Kreisleriana, Op. 16; Ryan A. Francis’ Moonlight Fantasy (2001), and Igor Stravinsky’s Three Movements from Petrushka. These compositions represent many styles and languages, yet they all share the unique characteristic of being constructed by collections of short compositions.