International Junior Music Competition
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
March 27, 2010

A Gala program featuring the winners of the International Junior Music Competition began with Sarasate’s Introduction and Tarantella performed by the young Kanon Kobayashi. Only around ten years old, she plays with great intonation, a robust sound, and a mature, varying vibrato. She is exceptionally musical and exudes a joy for the music she is playing. The Skylark by Balakirev, and Alborada del gracioso by Ravel were performed by 12-year-old pianist Hina Inokuchi. The Balakirev was a perfect choice, as she played with much grace and evocative color; the Ravel, which sounds better as an orchestral showpiece, lacked some of the passion and grandeur it needs.

In Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto finale, we heard a most prodigious girl, Emiri Kobayashi, perform on a tiny, buzzing violin. I was at first skeptical, but we soon learned that she is in fact ripe and ready for this virtuosic warhorse. It was her instrument that wasn’t ready—nor will it ever be—and I’m sure she can’t wait until she grows into a bigger violin. Paganini’s I Palpiti in A Major (Kreisler edition) was performed by eighth-grader Mao Konishi. Her harmonics were exquisite, as was her beautiful sound. She only needs to show a bit more flair and some more joy in her facial expressions to play this kind of showpiece.

Another showpiece, Ravel’s Tzigane, was well-performed by 15-year-old violinist, Issei Kobayashi. He reveled in Ravel’s music, playing with a flair befitting a gypsy. He executed excellent double-stops, pizzicato, octaves and harmonics, and started off with a captivating opening cadenza—sometimes he played a bit too deliberately or rushed—but he was always impressive. 16-year-old pianist, An Negishi, performed Griffes’ The White Peacock from Roman Sketches with a lovely sensitivity—sometimes sounding too cautious, but Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata No. 3 was confident and powerful. Only sometimes did the phrasing sound bland in the second theme, and only at the end did the tempo feel too rushed, but her sparkling accents and varied dynamics brought both vigor and sincerity to her performance.

In works by Beethoven, Ravel and Pierne, pianist Hinako Ota, who was born in 1994, played with a strong sound and a good technique. There was an engaging playfulness in passages that require it. She needs to work on a wider dynamic range; lighter, more directional phrasing; and better balance between right and left hands. In Wieniawski’s Fantasie Brillante, violinist Kana Egashira performed with exciting energy and clear signs of enjoyment in her playing. Aside from a few tonal and intonation imperfections, her virtuoso passages were fabulous. And she took her time is slower melodic phrases, milking notes with genuine musicality.

-Anthony Aibel for New York Concert Review; New York, NY