New CD release "Piano Fantasy"

I'm very happy to announce the release of my new CD "Piano Fantasy" from the label Orpheus Classical.
This album contains the following program, which I presented in various venues last year.

Mozart: Fantaisie d-Moll Kv.397, Fantaisie c-Moll Kv.475

Beethoven : Fantaisie Op.77, Sonate quisi Fantasia cis-Moll Op.27-2 "Mondschein"

Schubert : Grazer Fantasie D.605a, Wanderer Fantasie D.760



The booklet has a text in English, French, German and Japanese.
The album will be sold only at my concerts and via email order, and therefore it will not be found at any CD store nor online shop such as amazon.

Here is the instruction to the CD order. (only for the customers outside of Japan)
 

01.) Please send an email to order@kotarofukuma.com

02.) Indicate your name, the name of the addressee (if it's another person), the shipping address, any special request in your email.

03.) Then you will receive the order confirmation along with the payment information by email within a few days. 

04.) As soon as your payment is confirmed, the CD will be posted to the address indicated.
 

Terms and Conditions:

01.) Payment can only be made through PayPal. We are not able to accept any other form of payment.

02.) The shipping fee will be calculated using French or German postal rates. Orders going outside of Europe will be sent via airmail. We are not able to send by express mail.

03.) You cannot cancel your order after making your PayPal payment.

04.) CDs are not returnable for refund. If you receive a damaged or otherwise non-functional CD, you may return it at your expense, and we will send you a replacement at our expense.

05.) Your personal information will only be used in connection with your CD purchases and will not be shared with others.

06.) You will be responsible for paying any customs duties, if these should be charged.

If you have any further question, please write an email to order@kotarofukuma.com

Thank you for your comprehension.

Media News

Kotaro Fukuma's album "Sing to Water" will be featured and played in Nordwestradio this coming Friday at 10:05pm (German time)! 

You can hear the live streaming, clicking "Livestream einschalten" in the Page below.

Am Freitag 17. März um 22 Uhr 05 wird das Album von Kotaro Fukuma "Sing to Water" im Nordwestradio Programm "Auf schwarzen und weißen Tasten" präsentiert.

- der 34 jährige Pianist ist nicht nur ein überragender Virtuose mit unglaublichen manuellen und musikalischen Fähigkeiten, er ist auch als Bearbeiter aktiv. -

If you are interested in having the album, you can order via Email. Click here for more information.

release of a new DVD

I'm happy to announce you that my new DVD has released! 

It is a live performance at the Domaine Musical de Pétignac on the occasion of its 30th anniversary, which took place on April 2, 2016. 

Here is the program :

" Récital Piano de Kotaro Fukuma "

- Pour les 30 ans du Domaine Musical de Pétignac -

Beethoven : Piano Sonata No.14 Op.27-2 "Moonlight" 

Chopin : Nocturne No.2 E-flat major Op.9-2

                Mazurka No.49 f-minor Op.68-4     

               Polonaise No.6 A-flat major Op.53 "Héroique"

Debussy : Images livre II            

Takemitsu : Litany - in Memory of Michel Vyner 

Smetana : The Moldau (transcription by Fukuma)

               ～ encores ～

Weissenberg : En Avril, à Paris

Ginastera : Danzas Argentinas No.3 

                       "Danza del gaucho matrero"

Satie : Je te veux (transcription by Fukuma)

There are interviews of me and Gérard Fauvin (the owner of this Domaine) in French with English subtitle.

Price : 20 EUR + shipment fees

If you wish to have this DVD, please write an Email to Order@kotarofukuma.com , indicating "DVD order" in the email title, your name as well as the name and the address of the receiver. My communication team will reply and explain you how the payment should be done.

Review of the album "Sing to Water" in the Gramophone

(the publication authorized by the editor)

 

 

"The Japanese pianist Kotaro Fukuma, now in his early thirties, begins this impressive album with his own arrangement of Smetana’s Vltava...Part of the pleasure of hearing this orchestral tone poem transferred to the keyboard with such aplomb is that one entirely forgets that this is not an original piano piece."

 

"Fukuma’s boldly projected account is despatched with a mischievous twinkle and can take its place alongside Bolet, Hamelin and (the ultimate accolade) Josef Lhévinne, whose final octave bombardment on his (abridged) 1928 classic has been the envy of every pianist since."

 

You can read the entire article in the link below:

http://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/sing-to-water

Article dans "Pianiste"

Voici l'article complet de Stéphane Friederich sur Kotaro Fukuma - n°100 de la revue Pianiste, paru en septembre-octobre 2016. (la publication autorisée par l'éditeur)

Le teaser du "Rappel des Oiseaux"

Le teaser du "Rappel des Oiseaux" avec Mathieu Ganio et Kotaro Fukuma , nouvelle création d' Orianne Moretti et Bruno Bouche le 16 mai 2016 au Café de la Danse est en ligne!

"Le Rappel des Oiseaux"
D'après "Le Journal d'un fou" de Gogol
Adaptation et mise en scène : Orianne Moretti
Chorégraphie : Bruno Bouché
Lumières : Michel Cabrera-Martin
Avksenty Ivanovitch Proprichtichine : Mathieu Ganio
Piano : Kotaro Fukuma
Une coproduction Correspondances Compagnie - Les Pianissimes
Réalisation vidéo : Avril Films.

Fantasy on Ice 2016

Kotaro Fukuma was invited to perform and collaborate with top figure skaters in the Fantasy on Ice in Makuhari, Sapporo, Kobe and Nagano last May - June.

Here are some videos of the performances:

Ravel : La Valse
with Stéphane Lambiel

Beethoven : Moonlight Sonata (1st & 3rd movements)
with Johnny Weir

Liszt : Liebestraum No.3
with Nobunari Oda

Chopin : Ballade No.4 Op.52

with Miki Ando

Caccini : Ave Maria
with Akiko Suzuki


You can see some photos of "off ice" here.

Kotaro Fukuma has started Newsletter service!

 

------ EN ------

The Kotaro Fukuma communication team began the newsletter service early September 2016. We send out the news & upcoming concert information of Kotaro and eventually attach special video, audio and photos that are not available in public. You can choose the language among English, French and German.

You can register very easily. 

Please send an email to kotarofukuma.news@gmail.com , giving your name/surname, sex (Male/Female), country, language (English, French or German) and your email address at which you want to receive newsletters.

We will send you back a confirmation by email.

Cordially,

Kotaro Fukuma communication team

------ FR ------

L'équipe communication de Kotaro Fukuma a créé dès début septembre 2016 une lettre d'information, laquelle vous donne régulièrement des nouvelles des activités de Kotaro, ses concerts à venir, et des documents tels que vidéos, audios, photos. Vous pouvez choisir la langue entre anglais, français et allemand.

 

Vous pouvez vous y inscrire très facilement:
Veuillez envoyer un email à kotarofukuma.news@gmail.com en donnant votre nom complet, sexe (h/f), pays, langue (anglais, français ou allemand), et l'adresse email à laquelle vous souhaitez recevoir les lettres.

Nous vous confirmerons votre inscription dès que possible.

 

Cordialement,

L'équipe communication de Kotaro Fukuma

 

------ DE ------

Das Kotaro-Fukuma-Kommunikationsteam hat September 2016 mit einem Newsletter angefangen. Sie erhalten Neuigkeiten und Informationen über die künftigen Konzerte von Kotaro Fukuma. Auch werden wir unveröffentllichte Videos, Audios und Fotos dazu einfügen. Sie können zwischen den Sprachen Deutsch, Englisch und Französisch auswählen. 

Sie können sich ab heute sofort einfach registrieren. Senden Sie bitte eine E-Mail an kotarofukuma.news@gmail.com und lassen Sie uns folgende Informationen zukommen: Herr/Frau, Vorname/Nachname, Ihr Land, die gewünschte Sprache für Newsletter (deutsch, englisch oder französisch) und Ihre E-Mail-Adresse, an die der Newsletter adressiert werden soll. Wir schicken Ihnen dann gerne umgehend eine Bestätigung. 

 

Herzliche Grüße,

Das Kotaro-Fukuma-Kommunikationsteam

 

News

[ July 19th ]
Kotaro Fukuma a remplacé Nelson Freire au pied levé le 2 juillet pour jouer le concerto no.2 de Brahms avec L'Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse dirigé par Tugan Sokhiev.
Kotaro Fukuma replaced Nelson Freire to perform Brahms Piano Concerto No.2 with L'Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, conducted by Tugan Sokhiev.

concert reviews 1, 2
photo album
concert video (medici.tv) (teaser) 

[ May 22 ]
Kotaro Fukuma a collaboré avec Mathieu Ganio, Danseur étoile de l'Opéra de Paris dans le spectacle "Le Rappel des Oiseaux" le 16 mai au Café de la Danse à Paris.

Une excellente critique dans Altamusica sur le spectacle "Le Rappel des OIseaux"!

"...par l’audace de Ganio se lançant comme un acteur dramatique qui danse et qui doit à la fois dialoguer et rivaliser avec des pages de musique très fortes, admirablement jouées par Fukuma... Kotaro Fukuma distille les pages de Bach notamment avec un art consommé..."

altamusica.com 

photo album

 

Debut with the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse

Kotaro Fukuma a remplacé Nelson Freire au pied levé le 2 juillet pour jouer le concerto no.2 de Brahms avec L'Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse dirigé par Tugan Sokhiev.

Kotaro Fukuma replaced Nelson Freire to perform Brahms Piano Concerto No.2 with L'Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, conducted by Tugan Sokhiev.

Here is the teaser

You can Watch the full video on Medici.tv.

You can see the photos here.

Voici les deux critiques de ce concert:
Utmisol par Jean-Félix Marquette

Classic Toulouse par Serge Chauzy

new videos

Some of my new videos are available on youtube!

J.S.Bach : Aria "Erbarme Dich, mein Gott" transcription by Kotaro Fukuma
https://youtu.be/AMkhfX8qgPM

Scriabin : Sonata No.4 Op.30
https://youtu.be/ynJ43QU3uKc

Yuka Takechi : Winter Light / Ephemera for Piano - Images inspired by Haiku "Winter" (2015, world premiere)
https://youtu.be/wQbqi8cDhi0

Xenakis : Everyali (1973)
https://youtu.be/FlopXyUix68

Allain GAUSSIN : Tokyo-city (2008, extract)
https://youtu.be/6eQXgmO0TOU

and this is just to laugh ;)
https://youtu.be/-jK5xAcUgFc
 
Enjoy watching them!
Kotaro

about the CD Order

Thank you for being interested in purchasing my CDs that are not available outside of Japan.

Sing to Water - 20 EUR
Smetana-Fukuma : The Moldau
Bizet : Chants du Rhin
Schulz Evler : Concert arabesque on themes of
"On the Beautiful Blue Danube"
Mendelssohn : Venetianisches Gondellied Op.30-6
Chopin : Barcarolle Op.60
Lyadov : Barcarolle Op.44
Schubert - Liszt: Liebesbotschaft,
Die Forelle, Auf dem Wasser zu singen
Sciarrino : Anamorfosi
Kaski : Night by the sea
Baines : The Lone Wreck
Saint-Saëns - Godowski : Le Cygne

Toppan Live - 15 EUR
Haydn : Sonata Hob.XVI 24
Schumann : Carnaval
Faure : Nocturnes No.1&2
Scriabin : Sonata No.3

Liszt : Ab Irato - 15 EUR
Grandes Etudes de Paganini
Trois Etudes de Concert
Etude de Perfectionnement
Zwei Konzertetüden
Rhapsodie espagnole
Liebestraum No.3

Here is the instruction to the CD order. 

01.) Please send an email to order@kotarofukuma.com

02.) Indicate your name, the name of the addressee (if it's another person), the shipping address, any special request in your email.

03.) Then you will receive the order confirmation along with the payment information by email within a few days. 

04.) As soon as your payment is confirmed, the CD will be posted to the address indicated.
 

Terms and Conditions:

01.) Payment can only be made through PayPal. We are not able to accept any other form of payment.

02.) The shipping fee will be calculated using German postal rates. Orders going outside of Europe will be sent via airmail. We are not able to send by express mail.

03.) You cannot cancel your order after making your PayPal payment.

04.) CDs are not returnable for refund. If you receive a damaged or otherwise non-functional CD, you may return it at your expense, and we will send you a replacement at our expense.

05.) Your personal information will only be used in connection with your CD purchases and will not be shared with others.

06.) You will be responsible for paying any customs duties, if these should be charged.

If you have any further question, please write an email to order@kotarofukuma.com

Thank you for your comprehension.

Fantasy on Ice 2015

Fantasy on Ice 2015 is over, full of wonderful memories... and I would like to share my very special experience here.
------------------------------------------------On Saturday afternoon's show, we had a problem with the ice rink (they found a couple of holes on the ice), right before my first number with Akiko Suzuki and they had to repair the rink. As it didn't seem to be finished soon, Akiko and I drew backstage. Then I told the stage manager that I could maybe play something solo. And they accepted it.

So I went on the stage and played "Chopin's Ballade No.1". I chose this piece because Yuzuru Hanyu, the Gold medalist of Sochi Olympic games, skated to it in the last season. As I announced the piece, the whole audience got excited. The staff told me that the repairing work would take more than 5 minutes, but in fact they finished it in 4 minutes, so I thought I should cut the piece... It was an unusual experience to think about how I could shorten the piece while I was playing!! Anyway, I managed to make it like within 6 minutes in total. And they gave me a standing ovation as soon as I played the last note. I heard afterwards that Yuzuru was watching my performance and dancing to it at the rinkside. It was already a huge honor for me.

But the story went on, even more exciting. At the dinner on that day, Yuzuru came to me and said, "Could you play the Ballade no.1 once again at the end of the tomorrow's show (the last show) and collaborate with me?" You can't imagine how I was overjoyed and enthusiastic about his request!

However, it seemed a huge challenge because the music he used was already edited at several spots and it was in different tempi from mine. (You can find it on youtube by searching for "Yuzuru Hanyu Ballade") So, in order to study his interpretation I spent about an hour watching his skating on youtube (it's actually from a recording of Zimmerman).

The next day, I had only 20 minutes for my rehearsal and Yuzuru and I rehearsed about 10 minutes. Then we did the show...
It was an unforgettable moment and a very unusual situation to play and collaborate at the end of the finale with all the skaters and all the other artists (Tomotaka Okamoto, Sarah Alainn, Edvin Marton) watching our collaboration at the rinkside! I still can't believe this happened in such a way...

I would like to thank Yuzuru and all the people involved, including the audience. I am really impressed by Yuzuru, who had very hard programs at each show, yet taking care of so many things, motivating his fellow skaters, treating the artists with courtesy and doing his best to arouse the audience to enthusiasm. And believe it or not, he is still 20 years old!

Now I'm off to Europe having a tight schedule (playing in Lodève, Dresden and Paris in 4 days and going back to Japan immediately!), but I'm fully encouraged by all the wonderful figure-skaters and artists in the Fantasy on Ice, feeling strong enough to try 3 jump-combo! ;)

The photo shows Yuzuru with the audience at the end of the show.
(photo taken and provided by Miki Ando)

"Passion Classique" avec Olivier Bellamy le 27 Mai 2015 : Interview en direct !

J'ai été l'invité d'Olivier Bellamy dans "Passion Classique" mercredi 27 Mai de 18 à 19:00 sur la station française Radio Classique !

My recital at Salle Gaveau Paris on March 31th

Here are some photos from my recital at Salle Gaveau Paris on March 31st.

Ice Legends photos & videos

I performed in the ice show "Ice Legends" in Geneva on December 18th.

What an incredible experience it was!! You can see the photos of the show, taken by professional photographers in the links below:

http://www.bydoms.com/-/galleries/events/ice-legends-2014
photos: Dominique Schreckling

http://www.absoluteskating.com/index.php…
photos: Anna Bertoloni

And here is my personal album on facebook with some descriptions that could give you more ideas...

Ice Legends KF personal album 

And here are the videos of highlights, presentation, made by Imajack Prod 

Ice Legends I

Ice Legends II

Ice Legends III

Ice Legends IV

And here are two of the numbers I played in the show!

Gershwin Preludes with Stéphane Lambiel, Denis Ten and Nobunari Oda

Mussorgsky : Pictures at an Exhibition (excerpts)

 

I hope you enjoyed watching them!

Kotaro Fukuma at Wigmore Hall : An excellent review of Kotaro's recital by Robert Matthew-Walker@Classical source !

" Fukuma may appear to be just one of a number of very gifted pianists from south-east Asia, but even amongst such a plethora of excellence as can be claimed for many of them, his comprehensively superb artistry places him in the exceptional class."

http://www.classicalsource.com/db_control/db_concert_review.php?id=12478

New album 《 Dumka 》

I'm pleased to announce that my new album 《 Dumka 》 has been released by Éditions Hortus in France!
It features some great Russian repertoire, contrasting each work, and I recorded them in February in Cognac while the Sochi Olympics games.

Programme:
Moussorgski Tableaux d'une exposition
Glinka : L'Alouette
Balakirev : Islamey
Tchaikovski : Dumka
Stravinski : L'oiseau de feu (transcription by G.Agosti)

More details:  Hortus page

Along with the release of the album, we made a couple of PR videos.
1. CD trailer (in French with English subtitles), filmed in Bordeaux
This is my first PR video for which I was involved with editing as well (so much FUN!).

2. Interview video (in English), filmed in Berlin.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5cySK153Ij0

I would like to thank all the people who supported this project!

Un grand merci à l'équipe des Éditions Hortus,  Gilles Bruneau (manager de production), Anne de Fornel (direction artistique), Gérard Fauvin (accordeur), Roger Lenoir (ingénieur du son), Stéphane Delavoye (photographe et producteur de cette vidéo), Hélène Segré (attachée de presse) et tous ceux qui ont soutenu ce projet!

Release of my Debussy Album

I am pleased to announce that my Debussy album will be officially released from the Éditions Hortus in France on November 18th and distributed in the whole Europe and some other countries.

J'ai le plaisir de vous annoncer la sortie de mon album Debussy aux Éditions Hortus, qui sera distribué à partir du 19 novembre dans toute l'Europe et quelques autres pays.



Official page of the album release

À cette occasion, vous pourrez m'entendre dans quelques interviews sur les radios françaises :

Lundi 11 Novembre à 12h30
- France Musique dans le Magazine de Lionel Esparza

Mercredi 13 Novembre à 13 h
- Radio Classique avec Laure Mézan dans "le journal du classique"

Samedi 16 Novembre entre 11 h et 12 h
- Radio Autoroute Vinci 107.7 avec Charlotte Latour, présentation du concert de Kotaro Fukuma le 17 Novembre au Festival "L'Esprit" du piano à Bordeaux

Mardi 19 Novembre à 22h30
- France Musique dans l'émission "un mardi idéal "présenté par Arièle Butaux
Au programme en plus de l'interview : Debussy - Refletts dans l'eau ; Brahms - 3ème sonate 1er mvt.
(enregistrement en public le jour même à 19h30 à la Maison de la Radio à Paris)

Sur Radio Shalom 94.8, date de diffusion non précisée (je mettrai à jour l'information quand je le saurai)

J'espère que vous aurez du plaisir à écouter cet album !
I hope you will enjoy listening to the album !