For this new recording, Hayato Sumino has turned his gaze on the composer who possibly means the most to him, namely Chopin (1810-1849).  It was indeed Sumino’s sensational performances during the 2021 International Chopin Competition where he was a semi-finalist that first brought this fine young musician to wider international attention.

Hayato Sumino explains his concept for ‘Chopin Orbit’:- “For me, Chopin has always been like an idol, and his music has remained close to my heart since childhood. As I grew as a musician, I began to realize how naturally his influence found its way into my own creations. At some point I thought—why not create an album with Chopin at its center? That moment became the starting point of this project. My pieces were born out of inspiration from Chopin’s works. Sometimes I quote a motif or weave in a melody, but I never set out simply to write “in the style of Chopin.” What I wanted was to bring together his spirit with my own modern sensibility and creativity.

The title “Chopin Orbit” reflects this idea. I placed Chopin’s music at the center, and from there different responses and offshoots take shape—as if drawn by his gravity, forming new orbits of their own. In respect for Chopin, each of my pieces is paired with the original that inspired it, so the album presents his works and my responses in alternation. And not only with my own works: I also paired Chopin with composers I admire—including Thomas Adès (b. 1971), Leopold Godowsky (1870–1938), and Leoš Janáček (1854–1928)—showing how the resonance of Chopin’s music continues to expand across time.

I imagine the listener roaming freely between these two closely connected worlds, old and new, whilst keeping in mind the twist that pieces composed in the 19th century were themselves considered new and different in their time to the music that had gone before, highlighting that we inhabit an ever-evolving musical space."

The album includes, among others, Chopin’s Polonaise-Fantasie op. 61, Nocturne in c-sharp minor, Berceuse and Raindrop Prelude, coupled with Hayato’s own pieces White Keys and Post Rain, Godowsky’s transcription of Chopin's Waltz No. 1 and Janacek’s Good Night! from On an Overgrown Path.

Echoing this imaginative framework, Chopin Orbit showcases Sumino’s distinctive musical style, merging his refined classical sensibilities with his discerning ear as an arranger and his instinctive feel for the new.  During his exquisite performances of his carefully curated programme for the album, Sumino adeptly utilises a variety of keyboards, including a concert grand, a vintage piano, a modern upright and celeste.

’Chopin Orbit’ follows this exceptional young musician’s acclaimed Sony debut album ‘Human Universe’, released in November 2024 on Sony Classical, which saw Sumino range effortlessly across a diverse selection of repertoire from Bach to Zimmer via some of his own compositions.

Tracklist:

Side A:
Hayato Sumino: Prologue
Chopin: Étude in A flat major, Op. 25 No. 1 ‘Aeolian Harp’
Hayato Sumino: Lydian Harp
Chopin: Prelude in D flat major, Op. 28 No. 15 ‘Raindrop Prelude’
Hayato Sumino: Raindrop Postlude
Chopin: Étude in G flat major, Op. 10 No. 5 ‘Black Keys’
Hayato Sumino: White Keys

Side B:
Chopin: Mazurka No. 15 in C major, Op. 24 No. 2
Thomas Adès: Mazurkas for Piano, Op. 27: Second Mazurka
Chopin: Nocturne No. 20 in C sharp minor, Op. posth.
Chopin: Larghetto
Chopin: Berceuse
Leoš Janáček: On an Overgrown Path, Series I: Good Night!

Side C:
Chopin: Polonaise No. 7 in A flat major, Op. 61 ‘Polonaise-Fantasie’
Hayato Sumino: Imaginary Polonaise

Side D:
Chopin: Grande Valse brillante in E flat major, Op. 18
Chopin: Concert Paraphrase on Grande Valse brillante (arr. Leopold Godowsky)