Loeffler Alumni Series

Levine is committed to building new audiences for music by offering outstanding performances, master classes, and other musical events free-of-charge. This season of Levine Presents is offered free of charge thanks to the generosity of many donors. Please consider making a gift to support these programs.

Program

Mazurkas, Opus 50 | Frédéric Chopin

I. Vivace
II. Allegretto
III. Moderato

Barcrolle in F-sharp Major, Opus 60 | Frédéric Chopin

Intermission

Sonata, Opus 58 | Frédéric Chopin

I. Allegro Maestoso
II. Scherzo: Molto vivace
III. Largo
IV. Finale: Preso non tanto

About the Artist

Keiju Takehara is a classical pianist and educator from the Washington metropolitan area. He has performed in major halls across the United States and Japan, including Lincoln Center in New York, the Kennedy Center in DC, and Suntory Hall in Tokyo. He has been featured on WQXR Radio and Classical WETA and has collaborated with the Piedmont Symphony Orchestra and the American Youth Symphony.

Keiju, a Levine alumnus, studied the piano with Pamela Sverjensky and Martin Labazevitch. As a Levine student, he was selected to participate in master classes for many major artists, including Barry Douglas, Robert McDonald, Lambert Orkis, and the Emerson String Quartet, which he remembers fondly. In 2016, Keiju was awarded the Rosalyn Tureck prize at the 4th Rosalyn Tureck International Bach Competition as a “promising young artist.” He received additional prizes at the Puerto Rico International Piano Festival and the Texas State International Piano Competition.

He went on to attend the Manhattan School of Music, completing further studies with Horacio Gutierrez. Keiju particularly enjoys collaborating with other composers and musicians, and he actively performs new music. At the conservatory, Keiju premiered The Bacchantes (2019) for piano, drums, and electric guitar by Vasily Ratmansky. At the World Trade Center in 2021, he premiered Childhood 1979 by Hyung-ki Joo. Keiju also collaborates closely with the South Korean composer Jaegone Kim, thus far premiering three works: Le Cirque (2019), A travers une sphere de verre (2020), and Hesitante (2022).

Keiju has been actively teaching since 2016. He is currently on the faculty at the Moon School of Music.