ICR Tokyo, in collaboration with the Embassy of Romania in Japan and the Japan-Romania Society, is organizing a piano recital today, September 21, 2026, to mark the 145th anniversary of George Enescu's birth. This special project is organized by the Japan-Romania Society in collaboration with Asterism. The event will feature the renowned pianist Gen-ichiro Murakami and will take place at the Karasuyama Community Center in Setagaya-ku, Tokyo.
Program:
George Enescu - Romanian Rhapsody (version for solo piano)
Dinu Lipatti - Nocturnes
J.S.Bach - French Suite no.5 in G major BWV 816
Claude Debussy - Suite bergamasque no.3 Clair de lune
Ciprian Porumbescu - Ballad (version for solo piano)
Gen-ichiro Murakami is an internationally renowned Japanese pianist and the current dean of the Toho Gakuen School of Music, the institution where he was trained. His remarkable career is deeply connected to the European cultural scene and, in particular, to Romania, where he specialized in 1973 at the Bucharest Conservatory.
Quickly recognized as an exceptional talent through early awards in his native country, Murakami made his official debut in 1972 under the auspices of the Chopin Society of Japan. His European success culminated in 1978, when he became a finalist in the prestigious Tchaikovsky International Competition. This moment paved the way for extensive global tours and recitals on major stages in Bucharest, Warsaw, London, and Heidelberg—a city where he also served as a university researcher in 2000.
As a concert pianist, he has established himself as a masterful interpreter of Chopin and Beethoven, as well as a promoter of contemporary music through the experimental project „Piano No Ryoiki.” He has collaborated with leading orchestras in Japan and ensembles such as the Berlin Quartet, and in 2002 he founded the GEN Chamber Orchestra. With an impressive discography released by labels such as Japan Columbia, Murakami is also a respected member of the juries at major competitions, such as the “Dinu Lipatti” International Competition in Romania.
