A young, female Japanese concert pianist will take centre stage at the next Shetland Arts Trust classical music concert in Lerwick Town Hall on Thursday 8th December.

Mami Shikimori graduated from the Royal College of Music in London in 1999 with the highest possible mark and the esteemed Hopkinson Gold Medal. Since then she has travelled the world giving recitals, with some of her most recent appearances being at the Carnegie Recital Hall and the Casa Italiana Zerille-Marimo in New York performing in the ‘Master Musicians International Piano Series’.

In addition she has won many prestigious competitions, among them the Ibla Grand Prize International Piano Competition (Italy); the Peter Wallfisch Prize for the performance of Schubert and the Kendall Taylor Beethoven prize, while she was also selected by the Manchester Midday Concert Society as one of the two most outstanding young pianists to perform at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester in 2002.

For her Shetland recital Mami Shikimori will perform Chopin’s Sonata No 3 in B minor op58; Schubert’s Drei Klavierstucke, D946; Edward Harper’s Ballad for piano (2004) and 4 preludes by Debussy – La terrasse des audiences du clair de lune, Ondine, Canope and Feux d’artifice.

In addition to her public recital, she will also deliver four schools workshops throughout Shetland, one of them in Unst, specifically for northern isles pupils. During the workshops she will play and talk to pupils about several of the pieces which she will eventually perform in the Town Hall as part of the main concert.

“Once again the purchase of the new Steinway piano has opened another door for us” said Davie Gardner, music development officer with Shetland Arts Trust, the promoters of the visit. “Mami is a very exciting and incredibly talented young musician who should bring another new dimension to our growing reputation for delivering top quality local piano recitals. I believe she is just the kind of person who could attract more young people toward the classical music scene and further inspire local young pianists, hence the programme of school workshops prior to the recital. All this while still delivering a concert programme that will be very attractive to our existing audience as well”.

Tickets for the concert, which starts at 7.30, will go on sale from Shetland Arts Trust office at 09.00 on Wednesday 30th November price £10 and £7 concession.

For further information contact Davie Gardner on (01595) 694001.