Knox piano champ is a multi-honoree
Takeuchi performed Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1 in e minor, “Allegro maestoso.”
“We’re looking forward to what he’ll be doing in the next four years,” FHS choir director Mitchell Moore said of Takeuchi, son of Naomi Hamada and Yoshuo Takeuchi.
Moore said the competition is difficult enough — “you have to be at the top of your game,” but especially for someone who is a ninth-grader … so from the competitions that I know, ninth-graders normally don’t compete or do not have as strong as a chance as Haruki did.”
“I had fun because it was the first time I was playing with someone else. This was my first concerto,” the 14-year-old said.
“I hope there are more competitions,” Takeuchi added.
“(The win) was a pretty important thing for me. It’s an important part of (becoming) a pianist.”
Takeuchi has been playing piano for eight years. After hearing him hum a Mozart piece when he was 6, a family friend suggested he take piano lessons from Stephanie Northington. He currently studies under David Northington.
Takeuchi said he takes violin at FHS because he didn’t think there were piano classes there.
“I also kind of wanted to learn to play violin in fifth grade, so I started taking classes in the after-school program at (Farragut) Intermediate School,” Takeuchi said. “I just kept on playing it.”
He also has won the 2020 Music Teachers National Association Competition of Tennessee; took top honors at Tennessee Music Teachers Association State Competition in both 2019 and 2020; was No. 1 at the 2020 Junior Online Piano Competition in Japan, and claimed first prize in the 2020 Salzburg Grand Prize Virtuoso International Competition and The Memphis International Piano Competition in 2019.
Other top finishes included second place in The 2020 Pittsburgh International piano competition, third place in the 2020 Paderewski International Competition in Connecticut and was a semi-finalist in the 2020 WCM International Competition.
Additionally, Takeuchi has participated in numerous master classes and recently studied with Cyprien Katsaris at the 40th Kirishima International Music Festival in Japan.
He also plays violin with Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestra Association.
After high school, Takeuchi wants to pursue a career as a concert pianist, earn a Ph.D. and potentially teach at the college level.
