Manabu Takasawa

Noted for his “sensitive touch” by The Washington Post and his “beautiful sound with an abundant sense of fantasy” by Musica Nova magazine (Japan), pianist Manabu Takasawa is a Professor of Music at the University of Rhode Island.  His interest in music education has taken him schools throughout Rhode Island as well as to educational institutions in Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.  Manabu is also actively involved in the university’s international exchange programs, advising both incoming and outgoing students with a focus on Japan.  He also enjoys teaching children and adult students of all levels at the Rhode Island Philharmonic Music School. 

Since his solo recital debut at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 1992, Manabu has performed across the United States, Europe, and Asia including an appearance at the Czech Embassy in Washington, D.C. and a sold-out recital in Tokyo’s Opera City Recital Hall.  His concert activities and interviews have been broadcast on WSCL-FM89.5 and WBOC-Channel 16 in Maryland, internationally on Mercury Radio (Poznán, Poland), and on a News 5 evening news broadcast in Belize.  He is the creator and director of the URI Piano Extravaganza!, an annual spring festival featuring concerts and events for professional and amateur pianists.

July 6-10

July 13-17