This performance forms part of the Hattori Foundation early evening concert series. This is a very friendly series, in true Salon-style, where guests are invited to enjoy a pre-concert drink included in the ticket price, a one-hour performance (without interval) and then meet the performers and Trustees in the Club's bar after each recital for complimentary refreshments.
Programme (60 minutes, no interval)
Ludwig van Beethoven
Sonata Op.101 in A major Maurice Ravel Selection of pieces from 'Miroirs' Leopald Godowsky Java Suite Book 1 |
The Hattori Foundation was established as an Educational Trust by the Hattori Family and granted charity status in 1992.
The aim of the Foundation in the field of music is to encourage and assist exceptionally talented young instrumental soloists or chamber ensembles who are British Nationals or resident in the UK and whose talent and achievements give promise of an international career. |
Kasparas Mikužis
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Lithuanian-born pianist Kasparas Mikužis has performed at prestigious venues including the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and the Lithuanian National Philharmonic. His debut CD has received wide exposure, with performances broadcast on Mezzo TV, Lithuanian national television and radio, and France’s Radio Classique. In 2025, he was selected as a winner of the Young Classical Artist Trust (YCAT) auditions and is now represented by the Trust.
In February, Kasparas appeared with John Wilson and the Royal Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra, and most recently, in December, he gave his debut recital at Wigmore Hall in London. Since 2024, Kasparas has been a scholar of the Imogen Cooper Music Trust as well as a recital scheme artist of the Countess of Munster Trust. Recent engagements include recitals at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester, UK, and the Krzysztof Penderecki Centre in Lusławice, Poland. In 2023, Kasparas made his debut with the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra at the Lithuanian Philharmonic in Vilnius. Later that year, he was invited to perform for the Lithuanian and Polish presidents on Lithuanian Statehood Day at the Presidential Palace. This was followed by Kasparas winning 3rd Prize at the International M. K. Ciurlionis Competition. Since 2023, Kasparas has been closely working with pianist Gabriela Montero through OAcademy and was recently invited to extend his studies as part of the 2025 cohort. Kasparas' musical talent was first recognized by Michael Sogny when he became a scholar of the SOS Talents Foundation at the age of 10. The foundation helped the young pianist gain exposure and concert experience by inviting him to perform at various venues, including their annual Christmas concerts held on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. Since then, Kasparas has performed at the United Nations Headquarters in Geneva on multiple occasions and at the EMMA for Peace World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates concert in Warsaw. In 2018, he was invited to the opening concert of the V. Krainev Competition in Kharkiv, where he performed Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3. Other notable appearances include performances at the Fazioli Factory Concert Hall in Sacile, Italy, the Purcell Room at Southbank Centre in London, and the season-opening concert of the Kharkiv Philharmonic Hall with the Kharkiv Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra under conductor Yuri Yanko. More recently, Kasparas was invited to perform alongside violinist Jack Liebeck and cellist Josephine Knight at the Royal Academy of Music chamber music concerts, having won the Academy’s Duo and Chamber Music competitions. He also performed as a solo artist at the Eudon Choi show during London Fashion Week 2023. Kasparas has participated in masterclasses with Sir András Schiff at the Riga Jurmala Music Festival and has previously attended prestigious academies such as the Bacewicz International Summer Music Academy, the International Academy of Music in Liechtenstein, Prussia Cove IMS, and the Oxford Piano Festival. He has worked with distinguished professors including Dmitri Alexeev, Claudio Martínez Mehner, Eldar Nebolsin, Marios Papadopoulos, Benedetto Lupo, and others. Over the years Kasparas has received help from various foundations, including the M. Rostropovich Charity & Support Foundation (Lithuania), the SOS Talents Foundation (France), the Harold Craxton Trust (UK), the Hattori Foundation (UK), the Drake Calleja Trust (UK), the Wayne Sleep Foundation (UK). Currently, Kasparas is a student at the Royal Academy of Music, where he completed his undergraduate studies with pianist Diana Ketler and is now pursuing his postgraduate studies with professor Christopher Elton. In recognition of his representation of Lithuania on the international stage, Kasparas was honored with a letter of gratitude from the President of the Republic of Lithuania |