Hayato Sumino, piano

Hayato Sumino, a pianist who defies easy categorization, brings his singular artistry to the Music Center at Strathmore for a one-night-only recital titled *Chopin Orbit*. A semi-finalist at the 2021 International Chopin Piano Competition, a sold-out Carnegie Hall debutant, a performer at the Hollywood Bowl, and a YouTube sensation with over 1.5 million followers, Sumino fuses analytical depth with improvisational flair—a rare combination honed by his background in information science at the University of Tokyo and music research at IRCAM in Paris. For this program, presented by Washington Performing Arts, he weaves works by Chopin, Ravel, and Saint-Saëns with his own compositions, performed across three distinct instruments—grand piano, upright piano, and electric keyboard—in a single extraordinary evening. The program includes Chopin’s Scherzo No. 1 in B Minor, Op. 20, the “Black Keys” Etude, the Piano Sonata No. 2, and two Mazurkas; Saint-Saëns’s Danse Macabre (arranged by Sumino); Thomas Adès’s Mazurka, Op. 27, No. 2; a transcription from Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite; and several original works by Sumino, such as *Lydian Harp*, *Big Cat Waltz*, *White Keys*, *Imaginary Polonaise*, and improvisations on Chopin’s Berceuse. The concert promises a boundary‑defying experience that reflects Sumino’s unique combination of classical rigor and contemporary creativity.

When: Saturday, January 30, 2027.

Showtimes: 7:30 PM.

Tickets: Purchase through Washington Performing Arts; price not specified.

Lineup: Program includes works by Frédéric Chopin (Scherzo No. 1 in B Minor, Op. 20; Etude in A-flat Major, Op. 25, No. 1; Piano Sonata No. 2; Mazurka, Op. 59, No. 1; Mazurka, Op. 24, No. 2; Etude, Op. 10, No. 5 “Black Keys”; and an improvisation on the ostinato from his Berceuse in D-sharp Major, Op. 57), Camille Saint-Saëns (Danse Macabre, arr. Sumino), Thomas Adès (Mazurka, Op. 27, No. 2), Igor Stravinsky / Agosti (Firebird Suite), and original compositions by Hayato Sumino (*Lydian Harp*, *Big Cat Waltz*, *White Keys*, *Imaginary Polonaise*, and two improvisations).

Run time: Not provided.

Ages: Not specified; check with venue.

Venue: Music Center at Strathmore, North Bethesda, Maryland.

Note: The performance uses three different instruments—grand piano, upright piano, and electric keyboard—throughout the evening.