"I’ve enjoyed all of Mari Kodama’s previous albums, and certainly this one is no exception. New Paths is a musical exploration of the relationship of a young Brahms with Robert Schumann and his wife, Clara. Presented are Brahms’ First Piano sonata, his Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, and Clara Schumann’s arrangement of Robert’s [...]
Mari Kodama embarks on a Japan tour with her sister, Momo Kodama. The piano duo programme includes Ravel’s Ma Mère L’Oye, Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker and Stravinsky’s The Ride of Spring. The tour begins at Koganei Civic Center on 3 November, Kanagawa Kenritsu Ongakudo on 4 November and Ozaki City Civic Center on 5 November.
On Saturday, September 2, pianist Mari Kodama presented Beethoven's 2nd Piano Concerto with the Philharmonic State Orchestra under the baton of Kent Nagano at the annual Rathausmarkt Open Air. Mari Kodama is one of the benchmark Beethoven interpreters of our time and has recorded all of the composer's piano sonatas, among others. The 2nd Piano [...]
On June 18, 2023, Mari Kodama was once again the soloist in John Neumeier's ballet Beethoven Project II, created on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven's birth, at the Hamburg State Opera. The pianist is known for her interpretation of Beethoven's works and has already released several CD recordings of his [...]
Together with Mari Kodama, Momo Kodama and Karin Nagano, Kent Nagano presented a special program in Geneva, including Mozart's Piano Concerto for Three Pianos and Poulenc's Piano Concerto for Two Pianos, with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. Mari Kodama travels to the USA in April for concerts with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra conducted by [...]
A new review on Mari Kodama's performance with Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and Lan Shui in April is now available online. “[Kodama] gave us bravura runs in the opening movement, attempted futilely to wring poetry from the central andante and thundered through the strutting, percussive finale.” - CVNC, Lawrence Toppman, May 2023 Read the full article [...]
Two reviewers recommended Mari Kodama's New Paths as special choice of the month. "Kodama’s mature performance shows her sensitive touch and phrasing. Her refined phrasing and colourful sound are very pleasant. For Brahms’ Theme and Variations, Op.18b, Kodama’s interpretation of the theme makes listeners feel a tingle of anticipation and it is very touching." - [...]
“Mari Kodama seems to have achieved the almost impossible […] Her interpretation shows an extensive wealth of tonal colors. How Mari Kodama looks at all of this musically and pianistically is impressive.” Piano News Magazine, Anja Renczikowski, 2023. Released in 2020, Kaleidoscope – Beethoven Transcriptions is a recording where Mari Kodama interprets individual movements of [...]
"Mari Kodama has long been fascinated by the love, friendship and music of this creative trio, and explores it here from Brahms’s point of view, opening with an energetic account of the Piano Sonata No. 1, which he played for the Schumanns in those early meetings. Robert wrote that the younger composer’s playing made his [...]
Mari Kodama's album New Paths releases on November 18, 2022. "Anyone even remotely familiar with Western music history knows the relationship between Johannes Brahms and the two Schumanns: Robert and Clara. Moreover, it always proves to be an almost ideal starting point for recitals and recordings. Such is the case for Japanese pianist Mari [...]