The concert given by the HATO duo at Maison Jésus-Marie, on November 12, had everything to entertain the audience. The two pianists began their recital by presenting an all-Quebec suite of the repertoire of folk songs (arrangements for four-handed piano) by the Canadian composer, Violet Archer, with the piece "Ah! Si mon moine voulait danser”.

In keeping  with the rhythm and tone, another suite for piano four-hands followed, composed by Georges Bizet, entitled "Jeux d'enfants".
Then, the two pianists who are also excellent soloists, played each in turn, a high-caliber musical piece demonstrating their immense talent. Tomoko Inui performed Johann Sebastian Bach's "Prelude in do minor" while Haruyo Yoshino-Platt performed Frédéric Chopin's "Ballade no 4 Op".

They finished their performance with a masterful version (piano 4 hands) of the famous piece by George Gershwin, "Rhapsody in Blue".

Gifted pianists

The HATO duo is made up of Japanese pianists Tomoko Inui and Haruyo Yoshino-Platt. They have given numerous concerts in many places since 2009. The "Festival Borealis" concert was presented in various cultural centers and at Glebe Saint James United Church in Ottawa before being recorded on a CD in 2013. Several musical programs have been presented since then, including one on Clara Schumann and her contemporaries.

Tomoko Inui holds a Master's degree in interpretation from McGill University (under the direction of Kyoko Hashimoto). She received the Bruneau Award from the same university for an outstanding performance of a piano recital. She also has a doctorate and has worked as a researcher in physical oceanography in the United States.

For her part, Haruyo Yoshino-Platt studied at Tokyo's Toho Gakuen Music Conservatory and the Montreal Conservatory of Music (first prize). She has also studied under the direction of Natalie Pepin, SNJM, at the University of Montreal in the first and second cycle in music - piano interpretation. A finalist in the Canadian Music Competition, she was awarded a scholarship from the Canadian government in 1992 and 1993.

Photos – Sister Gisèle Lalande