Yuko Kato, Piano Faculty Yuko enjoys listening to pop, rock, hip-hop, and R&B on her iPod "music with lyrics and heavy beats that you can easily sing or dance along to." Yuko also listens to many classical works but finds "that listening to classical music takes a different type of concentration—it can't just be on in the background. My favorite way to listen to classical music is going to concerts and hearing live performances." Yuko discovers new artists by listening to the radio and getting recommendations from friends. Faculty bio What's on Yuko's iPod/cd player? Artist: Ivo Pogorelich Album: Liszt: Sonata in b minor and Scriabin: Piano Sonata No. 2 Why Yuko likes this particular artist/album: "This is an album I am listening to for the sake of curiosity. A few weeks ago, I went to hear Pogorelich play a concert at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He had not played in New York City for about ten years. The concert caused quite a ruckus due to his incredible interpretations. (See The New York Times review for more). There was much discussion after the concert about his controversial performance. In his defense, many claimed that certain recordings of his were great. This album was unfortunately not one of the recommended ones, but happened to be in the possession of my friend who is a big fan of his. I think it still showcases his unique style and interpretations." Favorite track(s) on the album: Liszt's Sonata. "Although Pogorelich does some interesting things with timing and clips some notes, he plays with ferocious intensity, a lot of contrast, and fantastic technique." Artist: Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Claudio Abbado Album: Mahler: Symphony No.6 Why Yuko likes this particular artist/album: "This is the piece that really got me interested in symphonies and I like to go back to it every once in a while. People often debate about which recording is the best—I am not one of those people. I did, however, hear the Berlin Phil play in Carnegie Hall a few years ago, and thought they were absolutely amazing." Artist: Rufus Wainwright Album: Poses Why you like this particular artist/album: "I don't find that Wainwright has a pretty voice - in fact, he sings everything rather nonchalantly with the same tone. Yet, somehow he just draws me in." Favorite track(s) on the album: Poses; Across the Universe (Beatles cover) Artist: Ensemble Recherche and Helmut Lachenmann Album: Ensemble Recherche Edition, No. 7: Helmut Lachenmann 3: Solo pieces Why you like this particular artist/album: "Lately, I've become a lot more interested in contemporary (classical) music and a friend of mine has been recommending recordings to listen to. While there have been many recordings I haven't taken to, this album stuck out because of its interesting sounds. Lachenmann (b. Stuttgart, 1935) has been creating works using unconventional sounds played on regular instruments. Some pieces (like Guero) don't use any traditional sounds at all, making it near impossible to tell what instrument is actually being played." Favorite track(s) on the album: Guero (1970, rev. 1988). "It sounds like an engine, a machine—not a piano." Artist: Smashing Pumpkins Album: Greatest Hits Why you like this particular artist/album: "Perhaps it was the fuss earlier this year rumoring that the band was getting back together, but after a long hiatus, I started listening to the Pumpkins again. Although I have always complained about Billy Corgan's terrible singing, I still think they were a great band with good songs."