— 2006 —

MOSCOW, December

This was Aimi's first visit to Russia, made when she was eleven and a quarter years old. She appeared with the Moscow Virtuosi conducted by Vladimir Spivakov on 24 December, playing Mozart Piano Concerto no. 26 “Coronation” and some memorable encores.

Article on www.gazeta.ru 23, December 2006

An article that appeared the day before the Christmas Eve concert: “The Girl Must Love the Work”, by Semen Kvasha.

Translation

Interview with Aimi and Yuko Ninomiya on www.mcvo.ru, 26 December 2006

A press release on the Moscow Virtuosi website. This contains the striking description of Aimi’s no. 26 “played as if blowing dandelions". “Spivakov Presented the Girl Mozart”, by Jan Smirnitsky.

Translation

Article on www.vechera.ru, 28 December 2006

Article, “The Girl in Whom Mozart lived”, by Natalia Krivitskaya. (Also a short extract from a review of Spivakov’s Christmas concert series by Irina Muravyova of the Rossiyskaya Gazeta.)

Translation

Interview with Elena Rossman, 6 February 2007

Interview, “Stars do not Fall from the Sky”, by Natalia Krivitskaya.

Translation (plus original Russian text)

— 2007 —

Interview with Mra Ninomiya and Aimi, broadcast 6 January 2007

From a program by Jacques Collet on LCI TV. Here is a transcript of an interview with Aimi and her piano teacher, Yuko Ninomiya. Ninomiya was speaking in english, but the interview was overdubbed with a french translation. The poster of the clip (now no longer on YouTube) translated the conversation back into english. Here’s his translation, slightly edited.

Transcript

— 2008 —

Audition with Christoph Eschenbach, broadcast 1 January 2008

This 20-minute program was filmed in Tokyo by Jacques Collet in November 2007 and broadcast by LCI TV, a French television company, on 1 January 2008. It shows Aimi being “auditioned” by Christoph Eschenbach at NHK Hall, part of the NHK Broadcasting Center. Because Eschenbach’s reaction to the just turned 12-year-old Aimi is of interest, I include a transcript of the encounter here.

Transcript

MOSCOW and ST PETERSBURG, February

In February 2008 Aimi made her second visit to Russia to play with the Moscow Virtuosi under conductor Vladimir Spivakov, this time playing Beethoven Piano Concerto no. 1. It seems there were two performances, one at the Moscow Conservatory on 24 February and the other in St Petersburg the next day. She was 12 and a half.

Video intervew with Vladimir Spivakov

This short video, dated 15 February, contains some very brief comments by Spivakov on Aimi’s abilities.

Transcript

A blogger’s report on the Moscow concert

A Yorkshire writer and his Russian wife went to the concert with little idea of what they were about to experience.

Life of Grayling “Experienced concert pianist age 12 years” (external link)

NEW YORK, June

In June 2008 Aimi performed at the AADGT event “Passion of Music” and some days later recorded pieces for her CD. Below are some versions of a delightful photograph taken outside Carnegie Hall immediately after the AADGT recital. Aimi is seen with Oksana Lepska, a young Latvian singer who also performed at this event. My thanks to Tom Wierzbicki for providing the photo.

1920 x 1080 (340.21 K)

1280 X 960 (282.92 K)

1024 X 768 (200.57 K)

Click on the thumbnail to see large version of full portrait photo

KRAKOW, September

In September 2008 Aimi made her first visit to Poland to play two piano concertos — Beethoven no. 1 and Chopin no. 2 — with the Krakow Philharmonic Orchestra. Tadeusz Strugala was billed to conduct, but as it turned out he withdrew at the last minute because of an entirely unrelated dispute over the orchestra's funding, and on the night the assistant conductor stood in for him (see photo below right). I hope to (re) locate some reactions in Polish to this concert. Meanwhile, we have a couple of pics taken at the time.

Left: Rehearsing Chopin no. 2 with the Krakow Philharmonic (from video courtesy of AADGT).

Right: In Krakow with Yuko Ninomiya and the assistant conductor, Pawel Przytocki (courtesy Tom Wierzbicki)

— 2009 —

WARSAW, August

On a second visit to Poland, Aimi appeared with the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century conducted by Frans Bruggen as part of the Fifth International Music Festival “Chopin and his Europe”. A public rehearsal on 23 August was followed by a formal concert on 24 August, at which she played Mozart Piano Concerto no. 20 KV 466 and her old warhorse the Chopin concerto no. 2 — both on an antique piano, something she has never been asked to do before! (There’s a little more detail on the Concert Schedule 2009 page).

Review of concert on www.dwutygodnik.com

I believe this may be Aimi’s first serious concert review. A somewhat mixed review by one of a trio of critics who reported on all the Festival's concerts, it approaches Aimi’s performance from the perspective that prodigies mimic adults and have little understanding of what they are playing. Nevertheless, the reviewer grudgingly admits that despite being a prodigy she’s pretty damn good. Well, we don’t censor things here, so read on!

Translation (plus a couple of readers’ responses)

Comments by concertgoers

Three people who went to Aimi’s concert (two went to the rehearsal as well) kindly sent in their impressions.

Finally for the moment we have these very charming photos by Tom Wierzbicki.

Left: After the rehearsal, with Yuko Ninomiya on the right and Elena Rossman behind. Right: In high spirits after the main concert; the lady in pink is Monika Strugala.

Oh my! Two glowing portraits taken after the main concert; and (right) with conductor Tadeusz Strugala outside the artist’s room.

NAGOYA, October 25th

This event now has a dedicated page in the Reviews section. Go here.

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