Fujiko Hemming

[thomas]

We just returned home from a wonderful concert: Fujiko Hemming interpreting Chopin, Liszt and Debussy. "La Campanella" brought us close to tears (she recently produced a CD by the same name).

Mrs Hemming is a remarkable artist. From her web site:

Born to a Swedish father and a Japanese mother in prewar Berlin, she survived the trauma of war and her parents' separation and embarked on a career as a pianist after graduating from Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music and Berlin College of Music. Then, just as she was poised to enter the first rank of concert pianists, a fever contracted during a 1971 recital series caused her to lose her sense of hearing.

She gradually regained some of her hearing and started her comeback, returning to Japan in 1995 after having worked as a piano teacher in Germany. In 1999 NHK produced a TV documentary on her that led to the tremendous public interest in Japan (my wife had seen this docu and was so glad she had the chance to see her in concert today).

Fujiko Hemming's official web site (now served through Wayback Archive)

=> fujiko hemming official site

=> Ingrid Fuzjko Hemming

Her European tour includes two more concerts in Ludwigshafen and Prague (June/July), if you have the chance to see her, don't miss it!

 

[TomAsInfinity]

Wow, I had heard about Fujiko and her music, especially due to her regaining of her hearing. She's worked hard for her art and I will keep a lookout to see if she's playing near me

 

[thomas]

She's really an impressive lady! Btw, she played in London only two weeks ago...