Manami Suzuki, a 2nd-year master’s student, made her London debut at Kings Place on January 23, 2026. Her professor, Katsunori Ishii, who was staying in London, also conducted her rehearsal coaching and checked the acoustics in the hall.
Before the concert, Alistair McGowan, a famous actor in the UK, Sean Rafferty, a renowned broadcaster, and our Project Professor Noriko Ogawa discussed ‘pianomania’ in a pre-concert talk. In the talk, Professor Ogawa introduced Suzuki as the first Japanese pianist and the first female pianist to win the prestigious Hamamatsu International Piano Competition in Japan.
According to the review by Mr. Colin Clarke, he acclaimed her performance, and he stated, “Suzuki had the measure of Hall One at Kings Place, and her performance was affectionate, marked by her trademark clarity and intelligence. Suzuki holds so much promise and clearly has a mature head on her shoulders. She also clearly has a bright future ahead.”
Reference:
Clarke, Colin. “So much promise shown by pianist Manami Suzuki at Kings Place”
https://seenandheard-international.com/2026/01/so-much-promise-shown-by-pianist-manami-suzuki-at-kings-place/
