Fancy immersing yourself in the delightful strains of Beethoven, Chopin, and Liszt, after a hard day’s work? Enjoy some of the finest compositions of the legends, performed by acclaimed Japanese pianist Junna Iwasaki, on Saturday evening at Fifty One East.
Together with Yamaha, Fifty One East is hosting, for the first time in Qatar, the international sensation Iwasaki in a special one night concert at the Music Square at their store in Lagoona Mall at 6:30pm on Saturday.
So if you drop by at the Music Square on Saturday evening, you can catch Iwasaki perform pieces by Beethoven, Liszt and Chopin, on S4, the premium piano from Yamaha. Built to last, the S4 has the musicality of a concert grand, rich in the sound aesthetics demanded by musicians.
“The programme will feature Iwasaki perform the following pieces: Debussy Arabesque No.1,  Beethoven Piano Sonata No.14 (Moonlight), Chopin Nocturne Op. 9-2, Chopin Fantasie Improptu, Chopin Valse Op. 34-2, Liszt La Campanella, Liszt Liebestraum, Beethoven Piano Sonata No.8 2 Mov., Balakirev Islamey, and Encore,” one of the organisers shared with Community.
Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, which was completed in 1801, is a timeless masterpiece. The first movement of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 14 ‘Quasi una fantasia’ in C sharp minor Op. 27 No. 2, ‘Moonlight’ is one of the most popular piano pieces ever written. The sonata got its name when poet Ludwig Rellstab described the music as being “like moonlight shining on a lake” in 1832.
The hour-long concert will be divided into 10 pieces; each piece will be for three to six minutes, where Iwasaki is set to enthral the audience by transporting them from reality into the world of fantasy. The Music Square is a one-of-a-kind destination in Doha where music aficionados from all levels can experience a sea of harmony and extensive selection of music instruments and peripherals including pianos, guitars, percussion, wind instruments, and amplifiers. Premium brands available include Yamaha, Gibson, Meinl, Remo and Bosendorfer.
Born in Japan in 1984, Iwasaki has received numerous prizes at international piano competitions including a prestigious Diploma Award at the 16th International Chopin Competition at Warsaw in 2010. In 2011, she was invited to perform in the concert commemorating the 200th anniversary of Franz Liszt’s birth at the Musikverein in Vienna. In 2012, she was also chosen as a CHANEL Pygmalion Days Artist.
Interestingly, Gabriuelle Chanel, the founder of CHANEL, Gabrielle Chanel, is said to have been a “Pygmalion”. She supported Pablo Picasso, Igor Stravinsky, Raymond Radiguet, Luchino Visconti and Jean Cocteau when they were still lesser-known. The word “Pygmalion” derives from Greek mythology, meaning a person who believes in, supports and develops talented artists. CHANEL Pygmalion Days, based on such a spirit, is a programme to provide young artists with opportunities to perform at CHANEL Nexus Hall.
A graduate of the University of Fine Arts in Tokyo, Iwasaki, since 2007, has been studying with Jan Gottlieb Jiracek von Arnim in Vienna. Laureate of several piano competitions in Japan, winner of prizes in competitions held in Austria and Italy, including second prize in the Josef Dichler International Piano Competition in Vienna, 2008, and fifth prize in Silvio Bengalli International Music Competition in Val Tidone, 2010, Iwasaki has performed all over the world.
Her prize-winning performance at the 16th Fryderyk Chopin International Piano Competition was greatly appreciated by jury member Martha Argerich. In 2011, she was invited to the Forum Torrelodones International Music Festival and played with Festival Orchestra. She was also awarded Scholarship of Agency for Cultural Affairs in Japan, and she has studied under Prof. Hiroko Fujii, Haruko Kasama, Susumu Aoyagi, Kyoko Tabe, Fernando Puchol, Akiko Ebi, and Aquiles Delle Vigne.