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The Rotterdam Student Orchestra and pianist Yukiko Hasegawa explore the musical identities of three extraordinary composers ahead of their times.

Yukiko Hasegawa

Yukiko Hasegawa (Hamamatsu, Japan) is known for her refined and sensitive musicianship with a deep understanding of the many different styles in her repertoire. Born in Japan, she now resides in The Netherlands. Both active as a pianist and fortepianist, she performs as a soloist and in chamber music collaborations for many different music festivals and concert venues. Internationally she has performed in Germany, Poland and Japan. She made her orchestral debut in 2004 in Hamamatsu, Japan with the Krakow Philharmonic Orchestra, playing Beethoven’s 5th Piano Concerto. With pianist Tobias Borsboom she forms a piano duo, that regularly performs in Japan. In 2019 they were the winners of the ‘Shizuoka no Meishu-tachi’ auditions.

Florence Price

The program opens with a tone poem by the American composer and pianist Florence Price (1887–1953). Price, born Florence Smith, was a key figure in the Chicago Black Renaissance, a cultural movement of African American artists in Chicago that built on the earlier Harlem Renaissance. Despite facing significant obstacles due to her gender and race, and nearly being forgotten after her death, Price left behind a substantial body of work. Her orchestral compositions, such as The Oak (1943), reflect the musically conservative Romantic nationalist style of the time. However, her cultural heritage and the ideals of the Harlem Renaissance infuse her music, with colorful harmonies and exotic modulations evoking the serene atmosphere of natural landscapes.

Clara Schumann

More than half a century earlier, another pianist and composer, Clara Schumann (1819–1896), was at the forefront of the Romantic movement in music. Born Clara Wieck, she was a child prodigy and a renowned piano virtuoso. While her career primarily focused on performing and teaching, she also composed music, following in the footsteps of other great pianist-composers of her era. She wrote her only completed concerto, the Piano Concerto in A Minor (1835), at the age of 15. This dramatic and innovative work showcases her virtuosity and original musical ideas, characterized by light textures and lyrical melodies. Notably, the romantic second movement stands out for its unique accompaniment by a solo cello.

Vereniging Rotterdams Jeugd Symfonie Orkest

The Rotterdam Student Orchestra (RSO) is part of the Vereniging Rotterdams Jeugd Symfonie Orkest (Rotterdam Youth Symphony Orchestra Association). Founded in 1972, the association now consists of four orchestras and five school orchestras, with musicians aged 6 to 26. We offer musicians, regardless of their background or experience, the opportunity to make music together and grow both as individuals and as members of an orchestra. We believe in the power of collaboration as a tool for personal and social development. Our ambition is to make the beauty of symphonic music accessible to all young people in Rotterdam who play a classical instrument.