MIYAKO SHINES IN SOLO RECITAL AT TOKYO OPERA CITY – BLOOMING NOTES 2025!

Miyako, guitarist of LOVEBITES, held her third piano recital on her birthday. The venue changed from TOKYO FM HALL to Tokyo Opera City Recital Hall this time, and we will report on the afternoon performance of the two-part performance, which showed an increasingly ambitious attitude. Miyako appeared in a spring-like pink dress in a sold-out hall filled with spectators. First, she played Judas Priest's " Diamonds and Rust " (originally by Joan Baez), the familiar BGM used to announce the start of LOVEBITES' live performances, and Halloween's " Eagle Fly Free " from her solo debut EP "Etude Op.23" . The beautiful melodies of heavy metal songs tend to be hidden by the strong sound, but her smooth fingering and unique classical arrangement make it stand out, which is already a pleasant approach. " For the past few years, the cherry blossoms have already lost their leaves around April 5th, but it was cold until recently, so maybe the cherry blossoms were waiting for us. Today, they're in full bloom, aren't they? So, I decided to wear a cherry blossom-colored dress, which is unusual for me, " said Miyako, looking happy as she announced her birthday. She also expressed her excitement for LOVEBITES' first concert at the Nippon Budokan, scheduled for March 2026, saying, "I hope we can do it under the cherry blossoms in full bloom! " She also mentioned, as if disciplining herself, the reason she started this recital: to train her mental strength so that she won't get nervous during the piano solo section when performing live with her band. She is seeing results little by little, saying, " I think I'm doing it more calmly than usual ," and I think she is in the midst of a remarkable evolution.

Next up was a medley of Queen, which Miyako said was " the band she listens to the most in her life . " The band played the well- known classics " Te wo Toriatte, " " The Show Must Go On, " " We Will Rock You," and "Born to Love You," as well as a selection of pop songs, and the gorgeous sound of the grand piano reverberated throughout the hall. The main dish of the concert was the first to third movements of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 14 " Moonlight ." The "musical genius" who, despite being a composer, suffered from ear disease in his late 20s, prefaced his performance by saying, " Please listen to this piece while thinking about what he was feeling when he wrote it, " and then, in her own interpretation, she played the full version, which lasted just over 15 minutes, in a variety of ways, from gentle and melancholic to bright and cheerful to intense and aggressive, and then she moved on to LOVEBITES' " Dystopia Symphony ," which was based on Beethoven's piano sonata "Pathetique," in a superb flow. After captivating the audience, he talked about his recent activities in a casual birthday atmosphere, sharing stories about attending driving school while on tour with LOVEBITES, how he decided to apply after going on a drive with his friend ITSUKA, the owner of AMP UP, and how he was surprised to find out how long it takes to get a license. There was another surprise at the end of the concert. Mao, a composer and arranger who is also known for his collaboration on LOVEBITES songs, was invited as a guest and performed a dramatic rendition of LOVEBITES' " We The United " with a special two-piano, four-hand performance, which Miyako said was a first for her. The wonderful combination of each other's phrases and the harmonies that shine when they overlapped with each other gently enveloped the venue with a lively melody like a fanfare.

" It feels a bit unfamiliar to see Mao in a proper suit (laughs) ," " No, no, happy birthday ," " It was my first time doing two pianos, " " When I was in music college, I did a piece for four people to play on two pianos ," " I had no experience arranging for two pianos, so I thought I'd ask Mao, the composer, who understands the intent of the piece best, " " If I'd left it to Miyako, it would have turned out to be an incredibly difficult score (laughs) ," " Thank you so much. Let's keep writing great songs! " " (To the audience) I look forward to your continued support! " The tempo of their conversation was perfect and heartwarming. The final piece was a gorgeous duo performance of " Glory To The World, " another LOVEBITES number. Miyako and Mao dynamically and delicately expressed the grand ensemble, creating a literally shining moment. The audience responded with a standing ovation, and the third piano recital's matinee performance came to a lively close. 《SET LIST》 1.DIAMONDS AND RUST (JOAN BAEZ) 2.EAGLE FLY FREE (HELLOWEEN) 3.QUEEN MEDLEY:TEO TORIATTE (LET US CLING TOGETHER) ~THE SHOW MUST GO ON~WE WILL ROCK YOU~I WAS BORN TO LOVE YOU 4.MOONLIGHT SONATA (1ST~3RD MOVEMENT) (LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN) 5.DYSTOPIA SYMPHONY (LOVEBITES) 6.WE THE UNITED (LOVEBITES) 7.GLORY TO THE WORLD (LOVEBITES)