Hayato Sumino: Chopin Orbit

About this event

Hayato Sumino is a pianist who approaches the keyboard as both performer and composer. He first drew wider attention as a semi-finalist at the 2021 Chopin Competition, but his programme “Chopin Orbit” is deliberately more than a recitation of greatest hits. The evening is built around Frédéric Chopin’s music – dramatic scherzos, delicate études and airy mazurkas – yet Sumino weaves his own compositions through the set, pieces that borrow Chopin’s harmonic palette while speaking a contemporary language. Camille Saint-Saëns’ “Danse macabre” appears in a transcription by Franz Liszt that Sumino has further reworked, and three excerpts from Igor Stravinsky’s “Firebird” ballet provide a jolt of rhythmic energy and orchestral colour late in the programme. Works by Thomas Adès round out a playlist that feels more like a curated musical conversation than a standard recital. The setting is the Großer Saal of the Alte Oper, so you sit back in a plush seat and let the sound wash over you – the audience tends to be a relaxed mix of seasoned concertgoers and curious newcomers drawn by the programme’s unusual arc. Anyone who enjoys hearing familiar Romantic piano writing placed in fresh contexts will find the evening rewarding.