The second concert in the 2019 Avex Recital Series will welcome its first singer, acclaimed soprano Sara Kobayashi who makes her UK debut at Wigmore Hall on Saturday 2nd March 2019. Having captivated Japanese audiences with her exuberant stage presence and broad stylistic range, she now brings the joy of Japanese music and art to London.
Kobayashi’s programme consists of a diverse range of European pieces by well-known composers from Germany, France and Italy including Gabriel Fauré, Franz Schubert and Claude Debussy. Exploring the connection between music and nature, Kobayashi also celebrates her roots by performing pieces by Japanese composers such as Kunihiko Hashimoto, Kosaku Yamada and Dai Fujikura. Kobayashi will be accompanied on piano by Ayaka Niwano.
This concert will conclude with Kobayashi performing Mai by Kunihiko Hashimoto, a particularly personal and significant piece of music for her. During this, she will dance in Nichibu style – a traditional Japanese dance combining dance and pantomime that Kobayashi herself began from the young age of ten. Based on the Kabuki classic play Musume Dojoji, Kobayashi has been preparing for this special performance of Mai by delving into the history of this composition and learning its script.
Sara Kobayashi comments, “I am very much looking forward to my recital at Wigmore Hall as this will be my UK debut. I used to visit London as a child and have always loved the city, so it is an extreme honour and joy to be able to sing at this historical renowned venue – it really is a dream come true. For this concert, I have programmed British, German, French and Italian works with a shared theme of flowers together with a few Japanese songs. With the last piece Mai, for which I will be dancing as well, I hope to introduce the beauty and the different elements of Japanese performing arts to the audience.”
The third concert in the Avex Recital Series 2019 will be shamisen player Honjoh Hidejiro on Saturday 6th July.
