Despite her anxiety, Japanese pianist Yuko Aoki felt the audience was pleased with her set at the recent staging of Classics in June.

“As for my performance, I was too tired to concentrate on playing the piano because of some unexpected situations. I had been very busy and been anxious before the concert. In spite of my bad condition at the concert, Jamaican audience were very warm for me… I got so many favourable feedback. The concert would be unforgettable concert in my life,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

The 15th season of Classics in June was held on June 16 at the University of the West Indies Chapel, Mona campus in St Andrew.

Aoki is a lecturer at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, as well as an attorney-at-law in Japan.

She said she showed an interest in music at an early age.

“My father was a lover of classical music. He had some friends who advised him about my music education, so I could study piano with one of most important piano teachers in Japan — professor Aiko Noro in my teens. In my 20s, I concentrated to study music theory and history at Kunitach Music College’s Bachelor and master course. After I got a position of musicologist at the Kunitach Music College, I restarted to study piano with professor Aiko Kitagawa (the top winner of ARD International Music Competition in Munich in 1970) and I study with her even now. On the stage, I play only piano. I learned harpsicord and recorder (as baroque ensemble style) and I learned a little Irish harp and flute. In Jamaica, now, I’m enjoying learning drums with Mr Derrick Stewart,” she said.

Besides Classics in June, she also performed at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade in February and Edna Manley’s Faculty Concert in March.

The pianist specialises in several areas of music.

“Usually, I don’t care the difference of the genre of music. I would like to enjoy every music. As a solo pianist, I mainly specialise in Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Chopin and Liszt,” she said.

Aoki added that classical music is relatively popular in Japan.

“In Tokyo and big cities in Japan, classical music is rather popular, but in small and local city it’s a little difficult for the people to access classical concert,” she said.