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music of erik satie: piano solo (2006)

"I felt I was sitting next to the piano, along with a quiet sort of anxious excitement - an awareness that art has just enlightened my life - that I only get when wrapped up in a really good piece of art, whatever the medium" - Monterey County Weekly Review --

solo piano CDs

the art of love: piano solo (2004)

Kumiko Uyeda & Beethoven's Piano Concerto No.4 - performance review

"I'm not a big Beethoven fan, but I loved the Fourth Piano Concerto. Kumiko Uyeda was amazing. She writes in the program notes that the Fourth was not appreciated until revived by Mendelssohn almost 30 years after its premier. I think I understand why. The piano sounds very modern, almost improvised in its hesitations."

- Leben Auf Planet Cruz weblog, march 1, 2009

Nisene Trio

Cynthia Baehr - violin

Kristin Garbeff - cello

Kumiko Uyeda - piano

The Nisene Trio originally began as the ZaSu Piano Trio, which was inspired over tea and scones, and first performed at the Santa Cruz library concert "Munching with Mozart" in the summer of 2014. Kristin Garbeff joined our group in January of 2017. The Nisene Trio still enjoy tea together (with the addition of Kouign Amann morning rolls) and strive to bring chamber music to people of all ages and backgrounds through concerts throughout the year.

Our repertoire ranges from Mozart to the Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla, and contemporary composers Emily Wong and John Wineglass.

We've just expanded the piano quartet repertoire by commissioning a new work from Chad Cannon, inspired by the current immigration crisis and the stories by the Asian immigrants detained at Angel Island. The work premiered at the Old First Concert Series in San Francisco on July 1, 2018. The Nisene Trio is active in the community in chamber music education, and the members are founders and coaches for the Youth Chamber Music Program at the Santa Cruz County Youth Symphony. Please visit our website at Niseneensemble.com.