In Japan, classical music is a strong cultural element and is present, in some way, throughout the territory. Among the main instruments used in this genre is the traditional and famous piano [ピアノ].
The piano, although traditionally a classical element, is used in various styles – such as jazz – and can be used as an accompaniment or for solo performances. Do you know the main Japanese pianists?
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Famous Pianists
Before we talk about some famous Japanese pianists, you might be surprised by the number of celebrities who can play the instrument very well, by the way.
Names like Sandra Bullock, an Oscar-winning actress, Paris Hilton, a famous American socialite, Robert Downey Jr., the Iron Man himself, Konsei Ichinose, one of the best Japanese poker players in history.
Hugh Laurie, best known for his role as Dr. House, Jamie Foxx, who studied classical music and composition in college, and Richard Gere, who not only played the instrument in one of the scenes of the classic film Pretty Woman but also composed the piece.
These are just a few personalities who are unexpectedly close to this beautiful instrument. Generally, famous Japanese singers also know at least the basics of the piano, whether in the J-Rock or J-Pop genre.
Successful Japanese Pianists
If we have to choose a world-famous Japanese pianist, she will be known as Mitsuko Uchida. The performer studied in Vienna, a city considered by many to be the capital of classical music, and is naturalized in England, where she lives.
The artist has interpreted compositions by masters such as Mozart, Schubert, Beethoven, Debussy, and Schumann and is known for her rigor and unwavering dedication, in addition to having numerous awards, including the title of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, and being an extraordinary conductor.
Lovers of the Final Fantasy game series have certainly heard of pianist Hiroyuki Nakayama. Takayama has a more classical background and graduated in composition from the Tokyo Institute of Music but always enjoyed listening to the soundtracks of the games that were released and trying to reproduce them, gaining popularity among friends and girls for his ingenuity.
The pianist turned his passion for games and his talent for music into a profession and became responsible for several soundtracks of electronic games. Among the most famous is the album, produced in partnership with composer Nobue Uematsu, Piano Opera Final Fantasy I to VI, released in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the game series.
Masabumi Kikuchi is another reference among Japanese musicians. Kikuchi was a jazz pianist and composer and, at the beginning of his career in Japan, recorded a series of bossa nova tracks with saxophonist Sadao Watanabe.
During the years he practiced the profession, the artist worked with great names in the music universe, including Lionel Hampton, with whom he toured. His musical style was known for being eclectic and ranged from classical avant-garde to fusion with digital music. His way of interpreting certain melodies included long moments of silence, and his way of playing the instrument’s keyboard varied between delicate and aggressive.
As in Japan, musical education starts very early, it is not surprising that the country has many talented pianists. Moreover, it is interesting to see how the Japanese have incorporated much of classical music into their traditional anime and in the development of games, with the piano thus present in universes that stray from its habitat.
List of Famous Japanese Pianists
Unfortunately, it is not possible to mention in detail all the thousands of famous pianists from Japan. I want to conclude the article with one more ranked list of famous pianists; do you know or can you research some of them?
- Aimi Kobayashi
- Fumio Yasuda
- Hikaru Hayashi
- Inamoto Hibiki
- Kaoru Wada
- Kensaku Tanikawa
- Makoto Yano
- Masabumi Kikuchi
- Mina Kubota
- Mitsuko Uchida
- Nao Matsushita
- Nobuyuki Tsujii
- Rentaro Taki
- Ryuichi Sakamoto
- Yoko Nozaki
- Yui Makino
- Akiko Shikata
- Mai Hoshimura
- Lisa Furukawa
- Junko Onishi
- Masahiko Sato
- Hachidai Nakamura
- Miki Higashino
- Hiromi
- Joe Hisaishi
- Toshi Ichiyanagi
- Toshiko Akiyoshi
- Keiko Matsui
- Toshio Hosokawa
- Alice Sara Ott
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