“Chopin has always been something of an idol to me, and his music has been very close to my heart ever since I was a child. As I developed as a musician, I realised just how naturally he influenced my own compositions.”
With this commitment, the Japanese pianist Hayato Sumino demonstrates just how profoundly the Polish Romantic composer’s music has shaped him artistically. It is precisely through his interpretations of Chopin that he has made a name for himself internationally – not least as a semi-finalist at the prestigious Chopin Piano Competition in 2021. Since then, Sumino has been performing on the world’s most prestigious concert stages, using his inimitable style to explore anew the connection between past and present. This is also evident on his album Chopin Orbit, released in January 2026, on which he juxtaposes works by the Polish composer with his own compositions and pieces by other composers.
Frédéric Chopin: Scherzo No. 1 in B minor, Op. 20 / Nocturne in C minor, Op. 48/1 /
Étude in G flat major, Op. 10/5 / Étude in A minor, Op. 25/11; Hayato Sumino: 3 Nocturnes / Human Universe / White Keys / Imaginary Polonaise; Frédéric Chopin/Hayato Sumino: Improvisation on the ostinato from Chopin’s Berceuse Op. 57; Alberto Ginastera: Sonata No. 1 Op. 22; Thomas Adès:
Mazurka Op. 27/2; Igor Stravinsky: Danse infernale, Berceuse and Finale from: The Firebird (Source: KTK Heinersdorff)
