Liberation Day Concert: Helena Basilova – Homage to Ryuichi Sakamoto
5 May 2025
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Pianist Helena Basilova pays tribute to the Japanese avant-garde composer Ryuichi Sakamoto.
Driven by her love and admiration for Ryuichi Sakamoto’s music, Helena Basilova recorded a highly acclaimed album in 2024 featuring groundbreaking piano music by the Japanese avant-garde composer. This recording is a tribute to him, his musical legacy, and his innovative approach to piano music. In the Oude Kerk, Basilova will perform works from this album—a must for lovers of ambient and minimal music.
Helena Basilova
Helena Basilova is a renowned concert pianist who performs in the world’s leading concert halls. Constantly seeking new music, she places a strong emphasis on collaborating with living composers and contemporary music projects. From a young age, her father—a distinguished composer who studied under Alfred Schnittke—wrote works for her. The discovery of Ryuichi Sakamoto’s music inspired her to further explore new possibilities within piano sound, experimenting with electronic music and technology. Alongside her passion for innovation, she also has a deep love for the classical piano repertoire and is highly acclaimed for her interpretations of Eastern European composers, ranging from Scriabin to Janáček.
Ryuichi Sakamoto
Ryuichi Sakamoto (1952–2023) rose to fame as a member of the Japanese synthesizer rock group Yellow Magic Orchestra, a pioneering band that laid the groundwork for acid house and techno music in the late 1980s. As a film composer, he achieved worldwide recognition for the iconic soundtrack of Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence and won an Academy Award for The Last Emperor. Inspired by composers such as J.S. Bach, Claude Debussy, John Cage, Pierre Boulez, and György Ligeti, he is regarded as a modern-day impressionist. Throughout his career, he collaborated with artists including David Sylvian, Youssou N’Dour, and Carsten Nicolai.
