Yoshiko Arahata, now beginning her second year as a professor of piano and collaborative piano at NMSU, will perform a solo recital on Tuesday that features music from several centuries, continents, and styles, including baroque, classical, Romantic, jazz, and Latin American works.
“I think this reflects why I am a musician pretty well,” she told Intermezzo host Leora Zeitlin in this interview. “I wanted to showcase my recent research in Latin American piano literature because there are so many pieces that I didn’t know until recently, and I just got fascinated with it.” The concert will include pieces by Ricardo Castillo (Guatemala), Rafael “Bullumba” Landestoy (Dominican Republic), Pablo Ziegler and Pablo Estigarribia (Argentina), as well as music by Handel, Haydn, Scriabin, Mompou, contemporary jazz composer Henry Martin, and Arahata herself.
Arahata began studying piano at the age of four and was introduced to jazz in high school. She has steeped herself in both traditions, and has frequently performed with dancers and for dance classes. While studying at the Eastman School of Music, she also earned a degree in brain cognitive science. Listen to the interview to hear about several of the composers on the program, her background, and her own composition that she will perform.
Musical clips in the interview:
1.) Henry Martin, Prelude and Fugue in C, performed by David Buechner (GM Recordings, cd #2049);
2.) Yoshiko Arahata, Impromptu, performed by Yoshiko Arahata (private recording);
3.) Ricardo Castillo, Suite in Re: Presto, performed by Massimiliano Damerini (Marco Polo, #225077);
4.) Rafael “Bullumba” Landestoy, Vals de Santo Domingo, performed by Yoshiko Arahata (private recording).
