Human Universe Hayato Sumino

• 1 Sumino: Human Universe 06:38
• 2 Bach: Jesus, Joy Of Man's Desiring 03:24
• 3 Purcell: Ground 02:41
• 4 Fauré: In Paradisum 03:34
• 5 Sumino: Nocturne I - Pre Rain 03:36
• 6 Sumino: Nocturne II - After Dawn 03:22
• 7 Sumino: Nocturne III - Once in a Blue Moon 04:08
• 8 Ravel: Pavane pour une infante défunte 06:06
• 9 Chopin: Nocturne No. 13 in C Minor, Op. 48 No. 1 06:08
• 10 Sumino: Recollection 04:35
• 11 Debussy: Clair de Lune 04:24
• 12 Sakamoto: solari 02:45
• 13 Zimmer: Day One (From "Interstellar") 03:14
• 14 Sumino: New Birth 03:35
• 15 Ravel: Boléro 08:48
• 16 Sumino: 7 Variations on Twinkle Twinkle Little Star 03:49
• Total Runtime 01:10:47

Info for Human Universe

On his Sony Classical debut album ‘Human Universe’, the extraordinary Japanese pianist and composer Hayato Sumino shows his multifaceted musical influences in a diverse selection of pieces by classical composers such as Bach, Handel, Purcell, Chopin, Fauré and Debussy, iconic film music by Hans Zimmer and Ryūichi Sakamoto as well as his own compositions and arrangements.

The special feature of Hayato Sumino's piano playing is his unique, confident and virtuoso style, in which he combines a precise classical technique with the fine sense of an arranger and distinctive improvisation skills. He constantly incorporates impressions from genres such as jazz and pop music, in which he is also active, into his well-founded classical interpretations.

‘For `Human Univers', I was inspired by ancient ideas of the universe and the connection between art and science. The ancient Greeks believed that celestial bodies in the universe emit sounds and that the entire universe creates harmony and music, the so-called ‘music of the spheres’.’

Hayato Sumino is an extraordinary phenomenon: even as a teenager, the pianist and composer born in Tokyo in 1995 inspired millions of viewers on YouTube under the name ‘Cateen’ with virtuoso videos of classical piano performances and emotional piano arrangements of anime and game soundtracks. To date, he has achieved over 200 million views and gained over 1.5 million followers on YouTube and Instagram. Although Hayato Sumino has been playing the piano and taking lessons since the age of 2, he studied information science and technology at the University of Tokyo until he graduated with an honours master's degree in 2020. Even before completing his studies, he won the Grand Prix at one of Japan's most important piano competitions - the PTNA competition - as an outsider in 2018. The win was the starting point of his career as a professional pianist. He then took piano lessons with Jean-Marc Luisada in Paris for six months and has since ridden a wave of enthusiasm to become a piano superstar in Japan. On 14 July 2024, his 29th birthday, he played a piano recital in front of 14,000 people in the sold-out Tokyo concert hall Nippon Budōkan.

He attracted international attention in 2021 at the International Chopin Competition, where he reached the semi-finals with his outstanding interpretations. In April 2024, Hayato Sumino made his spectacular debut at the Royal Albert Hall with his performance of Gershwin's ‘Rhapsody in Blue’, which caused a sensation both online and in the concert hall. As a soloist, he has performed with numerous orchestras around the world, including the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, the NHK Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Pops Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra and the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra. Hayato Sumino will make his debut at the Elbphilharmonie in January 2025.

Hayato Sumino, piano

Hayato Sumino
Taking the concert world by storm, pianist and composer Hayato Sumino breathes new life into the term virtuoso. An exclusive Sony Classical recording artist, Artist Ambassador for Apple Music Classical, Steinway Artist, and CASIO Ambassador, Hayato continues to forge his own path in the arts.

His dynamism and creativity are the building blocks of his astonishing online presence—boasting over 1.3 million YouTube followers and 180 million views on the channel/pseudonym “Cateen”—and his passion and spontaneity draw his fans to the concert hall, regularly selling out shows from Tokyo to London to Chicago to Vancouver, with lines out the door for Hayato’s autograph. His 2022 debut album Hayatosm featured music by Chopin, Liszt, and his own compositions, and worldwide success lead to Digital Journal’s recognition in “Best Classical Albums for 2020.” His debut album with Sony Classical is set for release this fall and includes works by Bach, Debussy, Fauré, and Hayato’s own arrangement of Ravel’s Bolero.

His 2024 debut at Royal Albert Hall—where Hayato performed Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra—created a media frenzy. “Something truly unforgettable was created by Hayato Sumino when he made his debut on the piano world’s biggest stage” (Classic FM). In the summer, an extensive sold-out 24-recital tour of Japan culminated in a celebration for Hayato’s July 14 birthday at Budokan (Tokyo), where he performed for more than 13,000 fans.

He continues expanding his international profile with debuts at the Rheingau Musik Festival in Germany, the Gstaad Menuhin Festival in Switzerland, and the Ravinia Festival where he performs Chopin with Marin Alsop and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. As a soloist, Hayato is regularly featured with leading orchestras worldwide, including the Hamburg, Polish National Radio, and NHK Symphony Orchestras, the Tokyo, Japan, Kansai, and Osaka Philharmonics, the Pacific Philharmonia Orchestra, the Boston Pops, and many more.

Quickly becoming one of the most in-demand pianists of his generation, Hayato’s 2024/25 season commences with an 11-concert tour as soloist in Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 26 (“Coronation”) with Marin Alsop and the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra. Next a series of debuts across many of Europe’s finest concert halls, including the Berlin Philharmonie, Elbphilharmonie, Tonhalle Zürich, Munich Prinzregententheater, Tonhalle Düsseldorf, and the Liederhalle Stuttgart. Under the baton of legendary film composer Maestro Joe Hisaishi, Hayato returns as soloist with the New Japan Philharmonic to perform Olivier Messiaen’s Turangalîla-Symphonie.

His unique style blends classical virtuoso tradition with an arranger’s ear and breathtaking improvisational skills, allowing Hayato to share not only classical masterworks, but also his original compositions and arrangements with audiences across the globe. In 2018, he won the Grand Prix at the PTNA Piano Competition, and shortly after in 2020, while completing his Master of Engineering degree, he was recognized with the University of Tokyo’s President’s Award for his exceptional achievements both in music and in academics.

Continuing a long series of accolades for his fresh and innovative approach to music, Hayato was featured on Forbes Japan’s “30 under 30” list in 2023, which recognizes “young entrepreneurs, leaders and trailblazers” who are spearheading “the transformation of industries and finding innovative ways to navigate new business realities.”

This album contains no booklet.