Claude Debussy: Préludes, Books I & II (Complete)

Ticktes: $28.52 – General Admission.
All Fees Included.

Available at: Taka Kigawa November 7 GHMS - Eventbrite 

Doors open at 6:30 PM.

Reception follows the concert.

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Internationally acclaimed pianist Taka Kigawa will present a special recital at Greenwich House Music School on Saturday, November 7, devoted to Claude Debussy’s complete Préludes, Books I and II. Widely regarded as one of the crowning achievements of twentieth-century piano literature, the twenty-four Préludes have become one of Kigawa’s signature works through performances throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and South America.

This November 7 performance will be Taka Kigawa’s final solo recital at Greenwich House Music School’s current location on Barrow Street in Manhattan, as the school prepares to move to a new location, to be announced at a later date. The recital follows Kigawa’s recent, successful sold-out performance of the complete Préludes at Le Poisson Rouge, giving audiences another opportunity to experience the cycle in its entirety. It also offers a rare chance to hear one of Kigawa’s signature programs in the intimate setting of the school’s historic Greenwich Village home, which has stood for more than 120 years.


Composed between 1909 and 1913, Debussy’s Préludes stands among the defining masterpieces of the modern piano repertoire. Rich in color, atmosphere, and imagination, the collection evokes an extraordinary range of images—from drifting mists and cathedral bells to ancient legends, dancers, fireworks, and distant landscapes. Although individual Préludes are frequently performed, complete performances of both books in a single recital remain relatively uncommon, allowing audiences to experience the full poetic and imaginative universe of Debussy’s Préludes in a single evening.

Celebrated for performances distinguished by color, refinement, and poetic imagination, Kigawa has earned particular acclaim for his interpretations of Debussy’s Préludes. The New York Times wrote that his performances are “thoughtful, poetic accounts,” adding that “Mr. Kigawa’s Debussy is carefully shaded and texturally transparent. He knows how to make this music sparkle. He is equally adept at tapping Debussy’s sense of mystery.” Argentina’s leading newspaper, La Nación, hailed him as “a phenomenal virtuoso,” praising “the perfection of hues, articulations and rhythms” in this repertoire.

For Kigawa, Debussy’s Préludes represents a lifelong artistic journey—one that reveals ever-changing shades of color, atmosphere, and mystery with each performance.

Taka Kigawa performs “La Cathédrale Engloutie” live: Taka Kigawa: Debussly (... La Cathédrale Engloutie)