A visit to the Royal College of Music, London

Prize-winning international pianist, Eri Yamamoto, visited London’s Royal College of Music this week for a 3-day recording session on the Shigeru Kawai SK-6 piano currently at home in the college’s Performance Studio.

Kumi Shimizu (violin), Eri Yamamoto (piano) and Tamaki Sugimoto (cello)

As part of her trio with Kumi Shimizu (violin) and Tamaki Sugimoto (cello), Eri Yamamoto required a piano that could deliver a charismatic and beautiful tone to compliment the lively personality of the violin, and support the eloquent timbre of the cello whilst retaining its own presence and offer the pianist total control of expression from a flawless action. According to the trio, the Shigeru Kawai SK-6 delivered in all areas.

About the Royal College of Music, London

Ranked first as the top global institution for performing arts in the 2022 QS World University Rankings by Subject, the Royal College of Music is one of the world’s great conservatoires and works with the most talented students of each generation as well as regularly hosting many of the world’s most celebrated musicians. Providing the right instruments for the most discerning and talented artists is essential. Virtuosic pianists require pianos with actions that can meet the demands of their playing, as well a tone that can convey the nuanced expressions of every note.

Kawai is proud that the Royal College of Music possesses a fleet of Kawai pianos throughout the institution for students to develop their performance. The SK-6 Grand Piano found within their dedicated Performance Studio represents Kawai’s premium range of handcrafted Shigeru Kawai instruments, built from the finest materials available and crafted by the most experienced Master Piano Artisans (MPA).

About the Artist

Eri Yamamoto was born in Tokyo and, after achieving her BA and MA with highest honours at the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest as a Stipendium Hungaricum scholar, she moved to London in 2017 to further her skills on the Professional Diploma course at the Royal Academy of Music. Currently in the UK on an ‘Exceptional Talent’ visa, she is also an official piano accompanist in the Strings Department of the Royal Academy of Music. She is also on the piano faculty at Piano Lessons London and serves as a guest instructor at Piano Lessons Tokyo when she is in Tokyo.

“…She completely picked the pace by “Home Trained” F. Liszt performing, she invited the audience to the euphoric world by the polished techniques and the bright beautiful tones. Above all, the emotional tension, the scale, and the deep breathing of “Après une lecture du Dante-Fantasia quasi sonata” were the proof of the first-class pianist….”

– Takuo Ikeda, 2021

For more about Eri Yamamoto, visit www.yamamotoeri.com