Keiko Matsui, internationally acclaimed and celebrated pianist and committed humanitarian, is welcomed back to Wharton Center’s Pasant Theatre, more than a decade after her last sold-out show here in 2008.
Matsui appears at Wharton Center at 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 25. Tickets are now available at the official source to purchase Wharton Center tickets at whartoncenter.com, at the Auto-Owners Insurance Ticket Office or by calling 1-800-WHARTON.
Matsui’s commitment to humanitarian concerns inspires her compositions. Each song is dedicated to a cause that moves her and works to create a performance full of lush harmonies tied with global rhythms.
Matsui believes music creates a oneness; these melodies are her living testimony.
Matsui started piano lessons at the age of five and made her U.S. recording debut in 1987. Since then, she has released 27 albums and has worked alongside notable artists from Miles Davis to Stevie Wonder.
She was nominated in 2000 for the Soul Train Award and earned a National Smooth Jazz Award for Best Long-Form Video Achievement and Best Female Artist.
She is currently one of Billboard’s top Female Contemporary Jazz figures and her newest album, Echo, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Charts this year.
She tours internationally to gain inspiration as an artist and to give back to different causes and organizations.
“We need to find that common bond in our hearts. People are dying with violence, hunger and war. This music is my new journey,” says Keiko. “It is an evolution in many ways. I hope I can make a path and make some noise and leave a positive effect on the world. This is my mission, and I am dedicating my music to this cause.”
Tickets start at $52; group and student discounts are available.