The 12th Japan tour of renowned Brazilian pianist and internationally acclaimed composer Amaral Vieira opened on May 23, 2024. He was here at the invitation of the Min-On Concert Association to perform in the “Amaral Vieira Piano Recital” held at 11 venues nationwide, which concluded on June 9, 2024. He previously toured Japan in 2018.
Min-On has had a 30-year relationship with the Brazilian maestro; his opening concert at the NHK Osaka Hall marked more than 300 performances he has conducted under Min-On’s auspices.
Among the scores he performed were a celebrated composition played at his first Japan tour in 1994, a melody of Japanese songs and his personal homage, “Watercolors of Japan,” to the delight of his Japanese fans.
On May 21, 2024, he called on Min-On Concert Association’s head office in Tokyo, where he was greeted by Standing Advisor Hiromasa Ikeda, President Koji Yamaguchi, Vice President Yasuharu Ito and Advisor Kazuto Ito.
At their meeting, Mr. Vieira presented Min-On with an original song, “The Human Revolution—Musical Impressions and Feelings,” as an homage to Min-On founder Daisaku Ikeda who passed away in 2023. He later toured a collection of classic pianos and music boxes of the Min-On Music Museum.
On June 3, 2024, the maestro performed at the Inada Gakuen Compulsory Education School in Sukagawa, Fukushima prefecture under Min-On School Concert outreach initiative. Three days later, the tour ended in Hiroshima at the Mihara Performing Arts Center Popolo. Mr. Vieira said words could not express his joy at the tour’s resounding success and was moved that concertgoers were delighted by the concerts.
On June 12, Mr. Vieira and his wife, Yara Ferraz, departed for Brazil from Tokyo International Airport.
Program of Main Performance
Johann Sebastian Bach: Italian Concerto BWV 971 (1735)
Amaral Vieira:Japanese Watercolors opus 325 – Fantasy inspired by Japanese
Melodies (dedicated to Daisaku Ikeda) (2010): Furusato – Yashi no Mi – Sakura – Kojo no Tsuki
Jules Massenet (1842-1912) : Méditation (from the opera “Thaïs” – 1894) piano
Transcription by Amaral Vieira
Franz Liszt (1811-1886): Hungarian Rhapsody n° 8 S.244/8
Claude Debussy (1862-1918): Clair de lune (from Suite Bergamasque)
This series of special concert events was made possible by the supporting members of the Min-On Concert Association and other sustaining contributors who support our various outreach initiatives.
