Pianist Yoko Hirota, praised for her 'precise and keenly projective' playing, is considered a leading interpreter of contemporary piano repertoire.
Composition History
Four works on this album—Trinômes III. Sgana by François Morel, Eight Songs without Words by Bruce Mather, Solus by Alice Ho, and Asubakatchin by Robert Lemay—were written specifically for pianist Yoko Hirota.
Interpretation
Pianist Yoko Hirota's concept for this album was to use miniature pieces as interludes to larger works.
Album & Artwork
The album title, Umbra Septentrionis (The Shadow of the North), refers to Northern Ontario, where pianist Yoko Hirota resides, and Canada as a northern country to Europeans.
Performer Biography
Yoko Hirota is currently a Professor of Piano in the Music Department at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, and co-founder of 5-Penny New Music Concerts.
Album & Artwork
This album is considered 'part II' of Yoko Hirota's previous CD, Voces Boreales (Northern Voices), continuing its tribute to Northern Ontario and Canada.
Performer Biography
Yoko Hirota studied contemporary piano music in Europe with renowned interpreters such as Gabor Csalog, Gabor Eckhardt, Herbert Henck, and Florent Boffard.
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