Shetland-Music.com

Shetland concert-goers were treated to an outstanding evening of classical and contemporary music when Japanese duo Masayuki Kino (violin) and Mami Shikimori (piano) delivered a concert in Lerwick's Town Hall on Thursday 8th March.

Masayuki and Mami at Lerwick Town Hall

Mr Kino who is considered to be Japan's foremost violinist and is currently Concertmaster of the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, while Ms Shikimori is generally lauded as one of the country's leading concert pianists, often appearing with the same orchestra in her home country and beyond.

Both are now based in the UK and together they gave a incredibly accomplished and stunning technical, not to mention hugely entertaining, performance to a near sell-out audience in the Lerwick venue.

The incredibly varied programme of music featured both classical and contemporary pieces such as Mozart's Sonata in G, K301; Szymanowsky's Sonata op 9; Ysaye's 'Extase; Respighi's Sonata in B minor, Kouichi Kishi's 'Taketori Monogatar' and Ginastera's Pampeana No 1.

Masayuki and Mami at Eshaness

Mr Kino's technical brilliance on the violin especially captivated the hugely appreciative localaudience, who so rarely get the opportunity to witness such skills in a live environment.

The previous evening Mr Kino had delivered a violin master-class to a number of students in Lerwick's Islesburgh House Community Centre.

An additional point of interest for many was Mr Kino's violin. The instrument was originally made by the highly acclaimed Italian instrument maker Lorenzo Storioni back in 1776

Ms Shikimori herself was making a very welcome return to the islands having performed here in a solo capacity in 2005, when she not only performed a sell out concert (also in Lerwick's Town Hall) but delivered a number of piano workshops and masterclasses in Shetland schools.