Since the Earthquake and Tsunami devastated Japan on 11 March 2011 (which, by a sad coincidence, was his birthday), London-based composer-pianist Motoki Hirai has been giving a series of charity concerts and recitals for fundraising, supported by Steinway & Sons and the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation amongst others, across the UK including London, Bristol, Somerset, Cornwall, Lincoln and Edinburgh, as well as in Europe and the most affected areas in Japan. So far, he has organized and participated in over 20 charity performances, raising nearly £80,000.
In October 2011, he premièred his new composition 'Grace and Hope' for solo piano, dedicated to the victims and survivors of the Tsunami, in his recital at Wigmore Hall in London. The following month he gave a Japan première of the piece at Shichigahama Kokusai-mura Concert Hall in Shichigahama, Miyagi, close to the epicentre (the hall is right by the sea and miraculously survived the disaster), also giving performances at three of local primary schools to encourage children. In June 2014, Motoki returned to the same concert hall due to popular demand after performing at primary and secondary schools in the neighbouring areas.
Motoki has continued to perform 'Grace and Hope' across concert halls internationally in 2014, including Carnegie Hall (New York), Cadogan Hall (London), and Concertgebouw (Amsterdam). He has been stressing the importance of continuous support, while delivering broader messages of his, such as 'Building a more peaceful world together', and 'Hope for the future'.
As part of the Fukushima Tsunami Relief ("Okiagari-koboshi") Project, Motoki's artwork containing these messages was displayed at the Japanese Embassy in the UK (March 2014) as well as at the Houses of Parliament (July 2014), alongside works by international celebrities including Prime Minister and star footballers.
MAKE A DONATION
Video Edited by Noriko Sugiura
‘Grace and Hope’ (2011)
– Dedicated to the Victims and Survivors of the Earthquake and Tsunami
Video Edited by Noriko Sugiura
【Notable Charity Performances】
7th April, 2011
National Liberal Club, London
11th April, 2011
Central Saint Giles, London
3rd May, 2011
St. Stephen's, Bristol, UK
4th May, 2011
Sidcot School, Somerset, UK
7th May, 2011
The Chapter House, Lincoln Cathedral, Lincoln, UK
19th May, 2011
Canongate Kirk, Edinburgh
25th May, 2011
Cadogan Hall, London
19th June, 2011
Unicorn Theatre, London
21st July, 2011
Tsuda Hall, Tokyo
10th October, 2011
St. Catherine's, Vilnius, Lithuania
13th October, 2011
J. Dpblevocoais vidurineje mokyklojem Kaunus, Lithuania
14th October, 2011
Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre Concert Hall, Vilnius, Lithuania
29th October, 2011
Wigmore Hall, London
28th November, 2011
Ekiraku Primary School (Miyagi), Tohoku, Japan
28th November, 2011
Matsugahama Primary School (Miyagi), Tohoku, Japan
28th November, 2011
Shiomi Primary School (Miyagi), Tohoku, Japan
28th November, 2011
Shichigahama International Village (Miyagi), Tohoku, Japan
11th March, 2012
Golders Green Parish Church, London
16th March, 2012
The Gallery, Eden Project, Cornwall, UK
21st April, 2012
St. Peter's, Petersfield, UK
21st December, 2013
Shichigahama International Village (Miyagi), Tohoku, Japan
5th Feburary, 2014
Carnegie Hall, New York
27th Feburary, 2014
Cadogan Hall, London
11th March, 2014
Embassy of Japan in the UK, London
Exhibition - Fukushima Tsunami Relief Project ('Okiagari-koboshi' Ten)
(＊Motoki's artwork was displayed)
4th June, 2014
Matsugahama Primary School (Miyagi), Tohoku, Japan
4th June, 2014
Shichigahama Secondary School (Miyagi), Tohoku, Japan
4th June, 2014
Shichigahama International Village Hall (Miyagi), Tohoku, Japan
7th July 2014
UK Parliament (Westminster, London)
Exhibition - Fukushima Tsunami Relief Project ('Okiagari-koboshi' Ten)
(＊Motoki's artwork was displayed)
【Special Thanks to the Main Supporters and Sponsors】
Access Ideas, All Nippon Airways, Berry Bros & Rudd, Body Shop, Broadgate Estates, Carliam Artwork, Central Saint Giles, Claudio Records, Daiwa Capital Markets, Eden Project, Exlayer, Grand Rogers Musical Artists' Management, Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation, Grieg Society of Great Britain, HONDA Motor Europe Ltd., IIJ Europe Limited, immprint, JAPAN CENTRE, Japan Core Competence Management Ltd., Japanese Embassy, Japan Foundation, Japan Society, Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, JR Central, KAJIMA, KOKUYO, Legal & General, Lincoln Cathedral, Lloyds TSB, Mitsubishi Estate, Matsuri Restaurant, Mitsui O. S. K. Lines, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Music Room, National Liberal Club, National Federation University Co-operative Associations, NIKKEI, Nippon Club, OCS Europe, OCS (Deutschland) GmbH, Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, Seven Beach Aid, Shichigahama Restoration Volunteers Centre, Shichigahama Kokusai-murai Concert Hall, Shichigahama Institute of Social Welfare, Sidcot Arts Centre, Steinway & Sons, Speedwell Lithoprint, tallwallmedia, UK Parliament, Unicorn Theatre, Wigmore Hall
© 2023 Motoki Hirai - All rights reserved