Playing the Piano: Francesco di Fiore performs The Music of Ryuichi Sakamoto

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Francesco di Fiore – piano

This concert has been organised in tribute to the renowned and award-winning Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto who sadly passed away earlier this year. The concert will include some of Sakamoto’s most popular and enduring music for solo piano including Forbidden Colors (theme from "Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence”), Energy Flow, Amore, Aqua and The Sheltering Sky. It will also include a new composition by pianist/composer Francesco di Fiore composed in memory of Sakamoto.

Sakamoto began his musical career in the late 1970s as a member of electronic band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). In 1983 he starred alongside David Bowie, and also composed the score for, the film Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence. In 1987 his film score for The Last Emperor, in which he also starred, won him an Oscar, a Grammy and a Golden Globe. Over the years, his extensive body of work has embraced collaborations with artists such as David Sylvian, Brian Eno and Alva Noto. Alongside his electronic music, his music for solo piano forms a significant backbone to his vast output.

Francesco Di Fiore, concert pianist and composer, was born in Palermo, Italy. He studied piano and composition variously with Harald Ossberger, Bruno Canino, Peter Toperczer and Eliodoro Sollima, in Vienna and Prague. In 1986 he began his concert career performing hundreds of concerts worldwide. As a composer, alongside music for piano, his compositions include chamber and orchestral music, film soundtracks and stage music. His albums are released by Dutch Label Zefir Records.

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NB: Following the concert at 9pm there will be a film screening of the 2017 documentary RYUICHI SAKAMOTO: CODA. Tickets can be purchased separately via this site or can be purchased on the evening of the event.