The ongoing Swedish Style event in Tokyo covers everything from architecture to aromatherapy. The music alone, however, merits our full attention.
For starters, the world-renowned classical pianist Per Tengstrand will hold a recital at the Swedish Embassy on Oct. 25. Winner of the 1997 Cleveland International Piano Competition and Steinway's official pianist, Tengstrand is no newcomer to Japan, where he has performed with the Tokyo and Osaka symphony orchestras and held solo recitals to great acclaim at Tokyo's Suntory Hall. He is a sensitive virtuoso, with a repertoire ranging from Bach to contemporary works, and has a fluid energy that complements the classical grandeur of Mozart and Beethoven. This concert, which is free of charge, is a rare event in Tokyo, and reservations are highly recommended.
Traditional folk music performed by innovative violinists Byorn Stabi and Lisa Rydberg and wildlife food specialties from Lapland prepared by Chef Johan Gunnarstedt combine in "Violin and Wild Life," a "music and food clinic" at the Swedish Embassy Auditorium on Oct. 22. Stabi, an established folk-music legend in his 50s, and Rydberg, a 19-year-old national prodigy, join producer Manne von Ahn Oberg, a native Laplander and former pop music producer in Los Angeles, for this unusual event that will delight both ears and palate.