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ShiZ’ka Arkus, who hails from Japan, started her classical piano studies at the age of four. She has worked with a variety of renowned Japanese pianists including Toshimi Sakou, Keita Kosaka, Makoto Yamahata, and Mako Okamoto, helping her to build her repertoire and develop her signature nuanced sound.
At just 17 years old, ShiZ’ka was chosen as a finalist in the prestigious Japan Classical Music Society Competition. She also studied jazz at Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Arts to supplement her classical training.
ShiZ’ka eventually studied with renowned jazz pianist Makot Takenaka as well as Yoko Yamamoto at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Her debut album, Scarlatti Sonatas, was released in December of 2018 and features 14 of her personal favorites of the famous sonatas composed by Domenico Scarlatti. It is available on iTunes, Amazon Music, YouTube and Spotify.
"When I started learning the sonatas, my hands and fingers naturally played each piece as if I had played them all my life," ShiZ'ka told NBC when asked about her experience with Scarlatti. "It was a body, mind and soul connection for me."
ShiZ’ka moved to New York City in 2013 and is currently living in Heritage Hills. She is scheduled to give a concert on Wednesday, May 22 at St. John’s in the West Village (218 W. 11th Street in Manhattan) from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. to celebrate the release of Scarlatti Sonatas. General admission tickets are $22, senior and student tickets are $10 and children are free. The concert is sponsored by Pleasant Valley Wine Company and includes a complimentary glass of champagne with ticket purchase.
"ShiZ’ka has no problems interiorizing, as she shows in the E major KK162," reads a review of ShiZ'ka's style in International Piano. "There is no doubting that ShiZ’ka has a resonance with Scarlatti’s style. The order of the sonatas works beautifully, and indeed much of the playing is elevating."
For more information about ShiZ’ka’s ‘Scarlatti in the City’ concert, click here. You can also visit her website and follow her Facebook and Instagram pages for the latest updates.
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