Steinway Series: Grieg. Fuko Ishii
Step into a world of Nordic lyricism as Japanese pianist Fuko Ishii, one of today’s most compelling rising artists, brings the music of Edvard Grieg to life in an intimate evening at Dubai Opera Studio.
Winner of the 17th Grieg International Piano Competition (2022), Ishii has been praised for her poetic sensitivity and breathtaking command of color. Her distinguished career includes top prizes at the Japan Music Competition, the German Brahms Competition, and major awards across Europe and Japan, along with acclaimed concerto appearances with orchestras such as the Argovia Philharmonic.
This specially curated all-Grieg recital highlights the composer’s warmth, nostalgia, and dramatic flair. Ishii opens with the spirited Norwegian Dances, op. 35, followed by the monumental Ballade in G minor, op. 24 - one of Grieg’s most profound and emotionally charged works. After intermission, a rich and varied selection from the Lyric Pieces unfolds, offering moments of intimacy, wit, and brilliance: from the simplicity of Folk Song and Album Leaf, to the playful sparkle of Spring Dance, Scherzo, and Puck, the reflective melancholy of Vanished Days and Til Foråret, and the triumphant exuberance of Wedding Day at Troldhaugen, bringing the program to a jubilant close.
Join us for an evening of expressive storytelling and virtuosic artistry as this piano recital will be performed on a Dubai Opera Limited Edition piano by Steinway & Sons.
Photo Gallery
Fuko Ishii was born in Tokyo into a family of musicians. In 2022 she got the 1st prize at the 17th Grieg International Competition. In the Final, she performed Grieg’s Piano Concerto in a minor Op.16 with Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra with Sir Lawrence Foster. In 2019 she got a first prize at 2nd Brahms Competition in Germany(Detmold) and 3rd prize at the 26th International Brahms competition in Austria and she has started her career in Europe. She has appeared as a Soloist with such as Kristiansand Symphony, Krakow Philharmonic, Brasov Philharmonic, Janacek Philharmonic, Basel Symphony, Detmold Theater Orchestra, Detmold Chamber Orchestra, Argovia Philharmonic, Valdivia Chamber Orchestra and with Japanese professional orchestras such as the NHK Symphony, Tokyo Metropolitan, Tokyo Symphony, Kyoto Symphony, Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestras.
Laureate of many competitions including the 9th Ettlingen International Piano Competition (Germany,3rd prize), the 82th Japan Music Competition (Japan, 1st prize), Jmanuel und Evamaria Schenk Stiftung Solist Competition 2019(Switzerland, Prizewinner). Fuko graduated Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo and after she studied with Prof. Claudio Martinez-Mehner at Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln and Basel Musik-Akademie. She studied chamber music with Prof. Anthony Spiri, Prof. Günter Pichler, and Prof. Anton Kernjak and studied Hammerklavier with Prof. Edoardo Torbianelli, and Liedbegleitung in the class of Prof. Christoph Pregardien.
She currently performs concerts mainly in Germany, Switzerland, Norway and Japan such as “Great Pianists of the 21st Century” in Cyprus, “Bergen International Festival”, ”Grieg in Bergen”, “Lofoten Chamber Music Festival” in Norway, “Meissen Piano Festival”, ”Blüthner Classics”, “Böblingen Piano Festival”, “Bagno Konzertgalerie” in Germany. Her passion is especially strong with Beethoven, Schumann and Brahms. Her first CD with pieces of Brahms and Haydn was released in 2021 from Detmold Music University. Since 2024 she teaches at Toho Gakuen College of Music in Japan. In 2025/2026 season she is invited as Soloist to play piano concertos such as Tchaikovsky, Grieg, Schumann, Mozart and Shostakovich.
Part I:
Edvard Grieg
Norwegian Dances, op. 35
Ballade in G minor, op. 24
- Intermission –
Part II:
Edvard Grieg
From Lyric Pieces:
Folk Song, op. 12, no. 5
Album Leaf, op. 12, no. 7
Spring Dance, op. 47, no. 6
Scherzo, op. 54, no. 5
Puck, op. 71 no. 3
Vanished Days, op. 57 no. 1
Til Foråret, op. 43 no. 6
Wedding Day at Troldhaugen, op. 65, no. 6
6+ years would require a ticket to enter the event.
Below 6+ years are not permitted for the event.
Dubai Opera is the ideal venue to celebrate elegance and style. Kindly avoid overly casual or provocative attire, such as shorts or flip flops, to uphold our venue standards. Guests not complying with the dress code will not be permitted entry.
Approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes including an interval
