ZOFO – Friday June 30. 2017 at 8 pm

Eva-Maria Zimmermann; Keisuke Nakagoshi, piano

Akira Nishimura Samudra Manthan (The Churning of the Ocean Milk) West Coast Premiere
Gustav Holst, arr. Keisuke Nakagoshi The Planets

Since joining forces as the professional duo ZOFO in 2009, internationally acclaimed solo pianists Eva-Maria Zimmermann and Keisuke Nakagoshi have electrified audiences from Carnegie Hall to Tokyo ,and outside-the-box thematic programming for piano-four-hands. This Grammy-nominated, prize-winning Steinway Artist Ensemble—one of only a handful of duos worldwide devoted exclusively to piano duets—is blazing a bold new path for four-hands groups by focusing on 20th and 21st century repertoire and by commissioned new works from noted composers each year. This concert will feature the West Coast Premiere of Samudra Manthan (The Churning of the Ocean Milk), a newly commissioned five-movement work by Japanese composer Akira Nishimura. Samudra Manthan is one of the best known episodes in Hindu mythology where gods and demons try to extract the Amrita (drink of immortality) from the ocean. Akira Nishimura’s piece is very smartly and beautifully written for piano duet, using the four hands in many different innovative ways. The program also includes The Planets, Gustav Holst’s seven-movement orchestral piece arranged for piano duet by Keisuke Nakagoshi. For more information please visit zofoduet.com.