Aloha International Piano Festival Celebrates 10th Anniversary

KAILUA, Hawaii - April 28, 2015 - PRLog -- The Aloha International Piano Festival (AIPF) today announced the artists and events for the 10th annual music festival, which runs from June 6 to 14, 2015 at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. AIPF 2015 features celebrated pianists Jon Nakamatsu, Thomas Sauer, Haewon Song, Sara Davis Buechner, Noriko Uenaka, and AIPF Founder, Lisa Nakamichi. In addition, Japan’s Ryota Yamazaki – one of music’s most exciting new artists – will make his AIPF debut at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 7 in a free community concert. The 16-year-old Yamazaki, who is already a star in Japan, is taking the music world by storm.

To celebrate 10 years of music-making in Hawaii, AIPF is proud to present a Jubilee Extravaganza Concert at 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 14 featuring encore performances of the most exciting and memorable concerts from the first Festival in 2006 through to the ninth Festival in 2014. Audience favorites such as “Pianomania,” “Tango Extravaganza,” and “Gershwin Extravaganza” will each make a comeback in this concert that also includes excerpts from West Side Story. The AIPF guest faculty will be joined by guests artists including violinist Ignace (Iggy) Jang.

In addition to concerts and free events, AIPF 2015 features professionally-adjudicated music competitions for children, teens and adult amateurs; workshops and masterclasses geared toward students and teachers; and a Piano Academy program for promising young pianists who may be destined to study at the world’s greatest music conservatories. Judges of the 2015 Aloha International Piano Competition include Nakamatsu, Sauer, Buechner, Song and Nakamichi.

Concert events include:

10th Anniversary Concert Featuring Ryota Yamazaki
Sunday, June 7 at 2 p.m. at the Hawaii Convention Center
FREE
At just 15-years-old, Ryota Yamazaki was the youngest pianist ever to win the grand prize in Japan’s prestigious Piano Teachers’ National Association (PTNA) Competition and has already launched an exciting career in Japan. At age 13, he won the Gold Medal in the renowned Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition Junior Category and since that time, has attracted much attention in the classical music world. Celebrate AIPF’s 10th Anniversary and the debut of Ryota Yamazaki at this concert, which includes  Mozart’s Sonata in F major K. 332, Liszt’s Mephisto Waltz, and Barber Sonata Op. 26. AIPF encourages music lovers to arrive early to secure seats for this free event.

A Celebration of Dance – Let’s Dance!
Wednesday, June 10 at 7:30 p.m. at the Hawaii Convention Center
Tickets: General $25, Students $10
A Celebration of Dance – Let’s Dance! features AIPF guest faculty including Jon Nakamatsu, Thomas Sauer, Haewon Song, Sara Davis Buechner, Noriko Uenaka, and Lisa Nakamichi, as well as violinist Ignace (Iggy) Jang in an enchanted evening of dance music highlighting works by Brahms, Dvorak, Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky. This magical program includes fan-favorites including Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances and Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite.

AIPF 10th Anniversary Jubilee Extravaganza “Encore!”
Sunday, June 14, 2015 at 4 p.m. at the Hawaii Convention Center
Tickets: General $25, Students $10
AIPF presents an encore performance of the most exciting and memorable concerts from the first Festival in 2006 through the ninth Festival in 2014. Audience favorites such as “Pianomania,” “Tango Extravaganza,” and “Gershwin Extravaganza” will each make a comeback. The program includes:

SCHUBERT: Allegro “Lebenssturme” Op. 144 featuring Thomas Sauer and Lisa Nakamichi
An encore from the second AIPF in 2007, this is a very special piece for AIPF Founder Lisa Nakamichi as she performed it with her former teacher, Martin Canin. As a faculty member of the Juilliard School, Mr. Canin played a fundamental role in the growth of AIPF and served as a guest artist from 2006 to 2009. Nakamichi will perform this great work with Mr. Canin’s son-in-law, Thomas Sauer.

WAGNER: Ride of the Valkyries for 4 pianos 16 hands featuring Haewon Song, Noriko Uenaka, Thomas Sauer, Timothy Smith, Mark Wong, Lauren Nguyen, Kai Wong, and Mari Yoshihara
An encore from the 7th AIPF in 2012, the 2015 performance will include two students, Lauren Nguyen and Kai Wong, who are AIPF Piano Competition winners, as well as Mari Yoshihara, winner of the 2014 AIPF Adult Amateur Competition. Sara Davis Buechner will reprise her role as conductor.

GERSHWIN: 3 Preludes for clarinet and piano featuring Melanie Yamada (clarinet) and Noriko Uenaka (piano)
An encore from the ninth AIPF in 2014: Melanie Yamada, who impressed audiences last year with her solo clarinet opening of the Rhapsody in Blue, will perform Gershwin’s 3 Preludes for clarinet and piano. In 2014, Jon Nakamatsu and Lisa Nakamichi opened the Gershwin concert with this piece.

PIAZZOLLA AND MATOS: Libertango (Astor Piazzolla) and La Cumparsita (Gerardo Matos) featuring Ignace Jang and Lisa Nakamichi
An encore from the eighth AIPF in 2013, the Jubilee Extravaganza would not be complete without these two tango pieces. In 2013, Lisa Nakamichi performed the solo arrangement of the Libertango and it will make a revival as a violin/piano version in 2015.

BERNSTEIN: Excerpts from West Side Story featuring Sara Davis Buechner and Timothy Smith (duo piano), Guy Merola (voice) and Todd Yukumoto (saxophone)
An encore from the sixth AIPF in 2011, this reprise will be one of the most special performances of AIPF 2015, featuring celebrity singer Guy Merola and saxophone extraordinaire Todd Yukumoto, along with pianists Sara Davis Buechner and Timothy Smith. Favorites such as America, I Feel Pretty, Cool, Maria, Something’s Coming, and Tonight will be highlighted.

To learn more and purchase tickets, visit alohapianofestival.com and follow AIPF on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/AlohaPianoFestival).

About the Aloha International Piano Festival
Founded in 2006 by pianist Lisa Nakamichi, the Aloha International Piano Festival (AIPF) is a non-profit organization committed to educating Hawaii’s children and teachers. AIPF addresses three main needs: the need for music teacher training, the need for low-cost music concerts and music education opportunities, and the need for high-caliber classes and lessons for piano students. AIPF strives to elevate the awareness of classical music in Hawaii while offering people of all ages the opportunity to experience music in a welcoming and educational setting. As a result of volunteer efforts and work to minimize administrative costs, AIPF has consistently offered programs at low and affordable rates for 10 years.

The Aloha International Piano Festival gratefully acknowledges the support of The Atherton Foundation, the Consulate General of Japan in Honolulu, and the Music Teachers National Association Foundation.