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Asuka Kurogi (soprano) and Richard Black (piano)

Wed Aug 6th 2008, 12:10–1:00 pm ◀ This event has finished
St James's Church Piccadilly, 197 Piccadilly London W1J 9LL

Free lunchtime concert with Asuka Kurogi (soprano, pictured on right) with piano accompaniment by Richard Black

Programme:

Arias by Handel

• Ombra mai fu (Serse’s aria from opera Serse)
• Lascia ch’io pianga (Almirena’s aria from opera Rinaldo)
• Tornami a vagheggiar (Morgana’s aria from opera Alcina)

Songs by Fernando Obradors

• La mi sola Laureola (My only Laureola)
• Al Amor (To the beloved)
• Del cabello mas sutil (Of the softest hair)
• Coplas de Curro Dulce (Verses by Curro Dulce)

Aria by Verdi

• Sempre libera (Violetta’s aria from La Traviata)

Japanese songs

• 翼をください (Let me have wings)
• 千の風になって (Do not stand at my grave and weep)

Classic FM Favourites

• O mio babbino caro (Lauretta’s aria from opera Gianni Schicchi/Puccini)
• Glitter and be gay (Cunegonde’s aria from Musical Candide)
• I could have danced all night (Eliza Doolittle’s song from My Fair Lady)
• Time to say good bye

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Asuka Kurogi's musical education started at the age of four, studying piano at the Yamaha Music School. She went to the literary pundit course at Omiya high school in Miyazaki city, where she was a head girl before turning her attention to singing.

She graduated the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music (BMus hons/Voice,Piano) and Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (PGDip) fully sponsored by Rotary International Foundation. She was awarded the Performance Practice Award for the contemporary music and Sir Geraint Scholarship.

Since she came to UK, she has been the soprano soloist with various chorus societies, and has sung the Japanese National Anthem at the Millennium Stadium.

Asuka has taken courses and masterclasses with: Eugene Asti, Robin Bowman, Richard Jackson, Malcolm Martineau, Paul Hamburger, Jane Manning and Madam Larissa Gergieva fully sponsored by the Friends of Mariinsky Theatre.

She sang in the chorus under James Lockhart, Charles Dutoit, Masaaki Suzuki (Bach Collegium Japan) Helmut Rilling (Festival Ensemble Stuttgart). And in London, she took part in the City of London festival as a recitalist. She is a 2008–2009 Irish Embassy Scholar.

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Richard Black has for over a decade enjoyed a growing reputation as one of Britain's leading opera repetiteurs and recital accompanists. As a founder member of The Artsong Collective he has been responsible for giving premieres of unheard song repertoire from the twentieth century, and he also includes over 500 songs from the standard repertoire in his performed list. His knowledge of the chamber music literature is nearly as widespread, while in the opera sphere he has rehearsed and coached nearly three dozen operas including several by his particular speciality, Wagner. Apart from playing the piano, he is an experienced recording producer and engineer and a consultant on matters related to sound and recording.

Venue: St James's Church Piccadilly

St James's is an Anglican church which was designed and built by Sir Christopher Wren in the 17th century. William Blake was baptised here in 1757. The church holds regular concerts of both classical and contemporary music.

The church is situated between Piccadilly and Jermyn Street about 200 yards from Piccadilly Circus. The closest tube stations are Piccadilly Circus and Green Park.

For more information, visit the St James's Church website.

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