Atsuko Seta

On Monday we saw a Japanese pianist named Atsuko Seta from Osaka, Japan perform at AUA. She was absolutely amazing. The first half of the performance was all pieces by Chopin. She even played two songs I have been working on (Nocturne in C# minor, and Etude 10-12 Revolutionary), and I really enjoyed hearing her interpretation of the music. She was very fluid and precise in her playing; her dynamics and command of the instrument were extremely inspiring.

The second set consisted of Japanese music. She played shamisen style music from northern Japan written during the aftermath of WWII, which she arranged for piano. She was able to produce a sharp staccato sound out of the piano, emulating the percussive sound of bachi against the strings of the shamisen.