Chopin Orbit (180g) [2LP] 

On his new album "Chopin Orbit", piano shooting star Hayato Sumino opens up his very own musical cosmos around the famous composer. On this conceptually diverse and emotionally moving album, the globally acclaimed Japanese pianist and composer Hayato Sumino (alias "Cateen") focuses on the music of Frédéric Chopin and builds his own musical cosmos around it.

Frédéric Chopin, who is one of Hayato Sumino's favorite composers, has long been a driving force in his artistic life. This connection first became clear during his highly acclaimed performances at the 2021 International Chopin Competition and now comes into its own in 'Chopin Orbit'. The program includes Chopin's Polonaise-Fantasie op. 61, Nocturne No. 20 in C sharp minor, Berceuse in D flat major op. 57 and the "Raindrop" Prelude op. 28 No. 15, alongside Hayato Sumino's own works such as "White Keys" and "Post Rain", as well as pieces by composers as diverse as Thomas Adès, Leopold Godowsky and Leoš Janáček, which underline Chopin's influence across generations.

Hayato Sumino explains: "Chopin has always been like an idol to me, and his music has been close to my heart since I was a child. As I developed as a musician, I realized how naturally his influence flowed into my own compositions. At some point I thought to myself: why not record an album with Chopin as the centerpiece? That moment was the starting point for this project. My pieces were inspired by Chopin's works. Sometimes I quote a motif or use a melody, but I have never simply tried to compose 'in the style of Chopin'. Rather, I wanted to combine his spirit with my own modern sensibility and creativity." He continues: "The title 'Chopin Orbit' reflects this idea. I have placed Chopin's music at the center, and from there various reactions and offshoots take shape - as if they were attracted by his gravity and formed their own new orbits. Out of respect for Chopin, each of my pieces is paired with the original that inspired it, so the album alternates between his works and my reactions to them."

"Chopin Orbit" follows the acclaimed Sony debut album "Human Universe" by this extraordinary young musician, released by Sony Classical in November 2024, on which Sumino effortlessly presented a diverse repertoire ranging from Bach to Zimmer, as well as some of his own compositions. For the album and his outstanding achievements as a pianist, Hayato Sumino was the first artist ever to receive three prizes at the Opus Klassik Awards 2025. As on "Human Universe", Hayato Sumino also combines different pianos and grand piano sounds in the recording of "Chopin Orbit"

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