Japanese Pianist Performs Before 100th Birthday
A Japanese pianist has given a concert days before she turns 100.
Muroi Mayako was born in 1921. She started her career as a professional pianist in 1945 and then moved to Berlin and performed in 13 countries in her 30s to 50s. Muroi is the oldest active pianist in Japan.
The commemorative concert was held in Tokyo on Wednesday, ahead of her 100th birthday on April 18. She played Beethoven's "Fur Elise" and "Moonlight Sonata."
Her lyrical and mellow performance drew loud applause from the audience.
During the concert, she talked about how she feels about becoming a centenarian.
She said she has come to understand what is necessary to be a good artist, and that she needs to deepen what is inside herself as a human being.
She said she thinks she will be able to create her own art by doing so, and that she keenly feels that pursuing art is an endless thing, and living for 200 years would not be enough.
A pianist who is a disciple of Muroi said she was impressed by Muroi's performance, which she could not believe was done by someone in her 100th year. She also said she hopes Muroi will continue to perform as often as possible while taking good care of her health.