The Art of Piano Transcription

Kotaro Fukuma presents a magnificent collection of piano arrangements that combine virtuosity and lyricism. In addition to popular pieces such as Johann Sebastian Bach's "Ave Maria" arranged by Charles Gounod, "Widmung" by Robert Schumann arranged by Franz Liszt and "Isoldes Liebestod" by Robert Wagner, also arranged by Liszt, the program features Fukuma's own transcription of Wolfgang Amedeus Mozart's "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" and a medley of French chansons ("Chanson Medley"), which topped his fans' wish list. Fukuma's virtuosity is best displayed in Amilcare Ponchielli's "Danza delle ore" (La Gioconda), arranged by Walter Vleminckx, and Piotr Tsjaikovski's "Bloemenwals" (De Notenkraker), in the version by Sergei Tanejev. Leslie Howard's "Réminiscences de l'opéra Turandot de Puccini" (Nessun Dorma!) is released on CD for the first time. Kotaro Fukuma, winner of first prize and the Chopin Prize at the 15th International Piano Competition in Cleveland, has already performed in major concert halls in Europe and the US. He has released 20 CDs which have been warmly received. His album "Fantasy - Scriabin & Rachmaninoff" was nominated for the International Classical Music Awards (ICMA) 2024. Since July 2020, he has organized the concert series "Rare Piano Music", in which he presents fellow pianists and rare piano repertoire. Kotaro Fukuma currently lives between Berlin, Leiden and Tokyo.