The piano is my life. It allows me to express myself, to improve myself, to gain a sense of who I am… That's why I feel empty when I'm not playing. It's not that I live solely for playing the piano, but more that it provides the most important measure of how I live my life.
Music is wonderful. I believe it has a tremendous amount of power. It would be a great thing if the AvantGrand introduced more people to the joy of music.
Initially I thought that the AvantGrand was just going to be another advanced digital keyboard, but when I tried it I was astonished to find that it had a real grand piano action. It feels very natural to the touch. The mild click when you push a key halfway, the aftertouch… whether you play lightly, or with more force to get a deeper sound, the instrument responds with a range of sound that suit the way you play it.
I chose to play the second movement from Beethoven Piano Sonata No.8 in C minor, opus.13, "Pathetique", which requires a broad range of tonal expression. The AvantGrand offers this naturally, because it contains the same action as a grand piano. The acoustics change depending on how you use the pedals, which means that playing this instrument is a very natural experience.
Ikuyo Nakamichi began learning the piano at age four, and came to the attention of the public when she took first place at the 51st Music Competition of Japan ...
Read MoreIkuyo Nakamichi began learning the piano at age four, and came to the attention of the public when she took first place at the 51st Music Competition of Japan while in her first year at the Toho Gakuen School of Music. After becoming the recipient of many awards, she made her real debut in Europe and Japan in 1987. Critically acclaimed for her warm tone, lyricism, and sense for music, Nakamichi’s popularity and ability place her at the forefront of pianist representing Japan.
In addition to her appearances with major Japanese orchestras, she often shares the stage with orchestras from other countries. Nakamichi gives recitals in many different regions. Since 1997, she has twice held a series of "Complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas" that were hailed for their musicality and for her sincerity towards the music, establishing a name for herself as "Beethoven performer - Ikuyo Nakamichi."
She is currently working on a variety of projects that are sure to receive a great deal of attention, such as "Chopin's Keyboard Mysteries," a project depicting the composer’s life through images and stories, as well as a complete Mozart piano sonata series.
Nakamichi has an exclusive recording contract with BMG Japan, and has released numerous CDs. In 2007, her recordings of Beethoven piano sonatas 30, 31, and 32 earned her the 45th Record Academy Award (Instrumental Division). As a writer, Nakamichi has published a DVD book entitled "Blissful Piano – to play, to listen, to enjoy" (Kodansha), and the "Learning about Famous Pianos and Piano Music" compilation (Natsumesha), among others.
Official Ikuyo Nakamichi Website
http://www.ikuyo-nakamichi.com
