Fans from across the country gathered at the Irvine Barclay Theatre on April 4 to watch Japanese pianist and composer Hayato Sumino perform live.
Following his 2024 debut at the Royal Albert Hall, where he performed “Rhapsody in Blue,” Sumino has continued touring globally. At Irvine, he delivered a solo program that was both technically intricate and emotionally resonant, shifting seamlessly between intensity and delicacy.
His setup featured three instruments: a grand piano, melodica and toy piano, allowing for a dynamic and varied performance. The theater remained hushed throughout. In the stillness between phrases, even the faintest resonance seemed to linger in the air.
Originally from Tokyo, Sumino began playing piano at age three and has since built an international following, with over 1.3 million YouTube subscribers and 180 million views. Known for his wide-ranging repertoire, he moves fluidly between classical works, original compositions, video game and anime arrangements, and improvisation.
A dedicated interpreter of Chopin, he reached the semifinals of the XVIII International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 2021 and has earned numerous accolades, including the Grand Prix at the PTNA Japanese Piano Competition and third prize at the Lyon International Piano Competition.
Alternating between intensity and soft water like fluidity, not a note was missed over the two hour performance. During the intermission, several fans were buzzing with excitement for what they just witnessed.
Among those in attendance was Jaclyn Dong, a USC student who flew in from New York the night before to see Sumino perform for the first time. Having played piano competitively since childhood, including at the state and national level, she found a personal connection to Sumino’s artistry.
“I feel like his technical precision is really inspiring. The way his fingers glide across the keyboard—it takes a lot of skill. I think he’s very talented,” she said. “ It was incredible. He’s a true virtuoso.”
Dong has followed Sumino’s work for years, first discovering him on YouTube with a video showcasing seven variations of “Twinkle Tinkle Little Star” with increasing levels of difficulty. The video now has 13 million views. Dong said she connects to his work personally. “Besides performing technically difficult pieces, I also like to improvise. So I connect to him in that way” adding that although she has not performed at that level in nearly a decade, she wants “to get back into it.”
Longtime fans and siblings Jen, Bill and Beverly Chen attended together after following Sumino’s YouTube channel for nearly eight years. Their familiarity with his online presence made the live performance especially impactful.
“You really can’t beat hearing it live,” Jen said, pointing out that in person, audiences also get to hear Sumino speak, an element usually missing from the silent performances he posts online.
Bill also highlighted the concert’s ending.
“It was amazing. The double encore at the end — oh my god. I feel like normally there’s just one encore, so having two was really special.”
Bill said he is inspired by Sumino’s covers of Mario and anime music, including that he once played the composer’s arrangement of “Jump Up, Superstar!” from the video game “Super Mario Odyssey” for a piano recital.
For others, the performance stood out for its technical skill and structural precision.
“[Sumino] thinks carefully about each and every note and how it relates to the bigger picture,” said concertgoer Kayden Ishii. “You can tell how much effort goes into organizing everything, and you can both see and hear that as an audience member and as a musician.”
Ishii’s favorite piece was Sumino’s interpretation of “An American in Paris,” noting how “he did ad-libbing while still keeping the nature of the piece.”
Kayden Ishii also observed the added complexity brought by Sumino’s use of multiple instruments.
“I knew that he incorporates things like the melodica and toy piano, sometimes individually or alongside the piano, but I hadn’t seen him use all three of them at once together before,” Ishii said. “That was really interesting.”
Though Ishii had primarily followed Sumino through the Chopin Competition, an international piano competition dedicated to the works of Frédéric Chopin, and a few interviews rather than his YouTube channel, he said he resonates strongly with his musical approach.
“It’s how much he cares about every note,” Ishii said. “He’s very flowy, but everything is still heard. I appreciate how much he listens. He really understands how the composer thinks and draws it out while still retaining his own individuality.”
Returning audience member Cathy Terrence, who previously saw Sumino perform “Rhapsody in Blue” at the Hollywood Bowl under conductor Marin Alsop, reflected on the contrast between performances. While the earlier concert featured Sumino performing alongside a full orchestra, she said this more intimate setting highlighted his strengths as a solo pianist.
“It was beautiful. I think we’re watching something special, hearing something special” she said.