When it comes to Stravinsky, one might wonder: Are Fujita’s hands even big enough for that? His fingers are rather short, that much is certain. But Fujita possesses remarkable agility and quick reflexes. “I’ve played a lot of Rachmaninoff as well,” he admits, followed by a bright, carefree laugh. br>
When asked when he first started engaging with music, he gives the number one: “At the age of one, I began rhythm and ear training, and at three, I started playing the piano.” Born and trained in Tokyo, Fujita made waves in distant Europe when he won prizes at prestigious competitions. He also caused a sensation in 2021 at the Verbier Festival by performing all of Mozart’s solo sonatas and later recording them in the studio—a young pianist making his debut with a new label by playing Mozart sonatas! That hadn’t happened in a long time. br>
Why Mozart? As a child, Mao Fujita saw an old video of an even older pianist performing Mozart’s C major Sonata, KV 330. It was Vladimir Horowitz’s legendary return concert in Moscow in 1986. “That performance fascinated me,” Fujita admits. “I was amazed at how the piano could express itself in so many different ways. I was especially captivated by the magical touch of his fingers and his tone. Those colors!” Fujita believes that every Mozart performance requires a high degree of spontaneity. “Mozart was a pianist himself, and for him, the score was just a foundation to build upon in a concert—with greater variety, more details, more nuances, more depth.” br>
For Mao Fujita, the character of a light, almost improvisational style is particularly important. “I believe the most important thing in music is that it feels natural.” Tradition plays a significant role for him, but not in a restrictive way. Of course, Fujita has studied the Mozart recordings of Claudio Arrau, Wilhelm Backhaus, and Clara Haskil: “That is very important, but tradition is not something that can be passed on by force.” br>
As a child, he wanted to become a taxi driver “because in Japan, taxi doors open automatically.” Today, he lives in Berlin. A devoted admirer of Giuseppe Arcimboldo’s paintings—”His art has the power to draw the viewer into a labyrinth”—Fujita also has a deep love for chamber music. In Verbier, he performed all of Beethoven’s violin sonatas with Marc Bouchkov. br>
He is sure to captivate audiences again in his concert with the Bochum Symphony Orchestra, where Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 25 and *The Firebird* will be performed. br>
Photo: Dovile Sermokas