Ema Nikolovska _{mezzo-soprano;} Hikaru Kanki _piano

Japan is an enormous source of inspiration for many different cultures; spiritually and sonically, Japanese culture has widened horizons in art and philosophy around the world. In this recital, Ema Nikolovska and Hikaru Kanki celebrate how Japanese and Western artists, especially in the 20th and 21st centuries, influenced one another through an exchange of folk music and instruments, harmonic experimentation, visual art and poetry, creating a kaleidoscope where all of these cultures contain one another in each song.

Hikaru Kanki won the Pianist’s Prize at the Wigmore Hall/Bollinger International Song Competition in 2022, as well as the Pianist Prizes at the International Helmut Deutsch Lied Competition and International Vocal Competition s’Hertogenbosch. Both Hikaru and Ema are passionate about honouring tradition and innovation in song and are delighted to present this unique programme at Wigmore Hall.