Pro Musica of Detroit is thrilled to kick off its 2026 concert season with world renown pianist Maki Namekawa on February 6 with an eclectic program featuring pieces from Philip Glass, Keith Jarrett, and Chick Corea.

Maki Namekawa, piano

Ms. Namekawa has earned a unique reputation for her commitment to four centuries of great piano music with a concert repertory that is broad, colorful, and ambitious, ranging from neglected masterpieces by J.S. Bach, Felix Mendelssohn, and Alban Berg to new works by many of today’s leading composers. The impressive list of music especially written for Ms. Namekawa includes “Piano Sonata No. 1” by Philip Glass and a work for four-hands by Joe Hisaishi. Her work includes first performances of works by Elliot Goldenthal, Keith Jarrett, Arvo Pärt, and Hania Rani. 

Regarding her work with American composer Philip Glass, the Frankfurter Allgemeinen Zeitung reported “(The sonata #1) is Glass’ most demanding pianistic creation. The virtuosic octave leaps, are, due to their incredibly fast passage work, at the edge of technical ability. This music is the life and breath for Namekawa. It is a prime example of how a matchless unity ensues, when the composer and the interpreter work closely together, a situation hardly achievable when a pianist interprets time honored repertoire.”