An interview with me as a “premiere performer” was published in the magazine “Kompositio” by Finnish Composers’ Society in December 2024.
I would like to thank Hanna Isolanmi and Lasse Lehtonen for this great opportunity.
Kantaesittäjä – Premiere Performer
Eriko Takahashi, piano
Music has been an integral part of pianist Eriko Takahashi’s life since childhood. Her mother was a piano teacher, making it natural for her to start learning the instrument as well. “Besides, my family listened to classical music every day”, she says. “There was always music in our house, and I was surrounded by its atmosphere.” As a performer, Takahashi has developed a keen interest in forgotten and lesser-known works, including contemporary music. “Alongside contemporary music, I enjoy all kinds of classical music”, she says. “My favorite period is from the late 19th century to the first half of the 20th century.”
After graduating from the Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo, Takahashi moved to Austria, where she continued her studies in solo piano and chamber music. She also studied contemporary music with the ensemble Klangforum Wien at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz.
Takahashi describes the piano as an exceptionally versatile instrument for contemporary music. It allows for various ways of producing sound by using the strings, frame and pedals creatively. “My favorite way of creating sounds is to use the strings to create harmonics”, she explains. “Sometimes the piano is played in a very percussive way, but I don’t particularly enjoy hitting the keys violently.” Her performances have been described as elegant and clear, combining both intellectual and emotional layers.
Takahashi’s repertoire includes numerous contemporary works, some of them by Finnish composers. On the first of November, she premiered Intermezzi, a piano piece by Ari Romppanen, at a concert organized by FinJa Music, an association promoting musical exchange and collaboration between Finland and Japan through concerts and other events in both countries. Takahashi sees certain parallels between Japanese and Finnish aesthetics: “This is, of course, just my personal view, but I think both Finnish and Japanese cultures are deeply influenced by nature.
I feel this has an impact on timbres, sounds, colors, harmonies and also on how we handle silence or the absence of sound in music.”
Eriko Takahashi has been collaborating with Ari Romppanen since 2018. “People often describe his pieces as ‘complicated’ or ‘difficult’, but I find they always have clear structures and messages beneath their surface complexities”, she says. “Like his other works, Intermezzi has a kind of cosmic dimension, from the enormous energy of a big bang to the delicate sensitivity of starlight. The composer says he has devoted this piece more to softer sounds than many of his previous large-scale works. I find the epilogue particularly interesting, where harmonics are played in a symbolic manner.”
In addition to Romppanen’s piano works, Eriko Takahashi has performed music by both historical and contemporary Finnish composers, including Kai Nieminen and Seppo Pohjola. “Those weren’t premieres, but I am currently looking forward to a new piece by Nieminen”, she says. “Each contemporary piece I’ve played has had its own unique features and characteristics, and I’ve genuinely enjoyed playing them all.” In March 2025, she will release a new album of Finnish piano works (ALM Records, Tokyo), featuring music by Madetoja, Palmgren, Kokkonen, Nieminen and Romppanen.
Interview: Hanna Isolammi
[“Kompositio” 2/2024 (12/2024) by Composers’ Society, page 45.]
The whole magazine
