YUKO KAWAI
pianist
1
30/01/16 00:00
[Yuko's Leg Rehabilitation Diary - 1]
For about 2 years, in 2014 and 2015, I couldn't walk at all.
I've been struggling against the leg muscle pains and struggling to gain new muscles.
I had to cancel all my recitals, performances with orchestra, chamber music concerts, masterclasses, appearances on TV, International Piano Competition jury work and so on. But not only not-being-able-to-work as a pianist, but also, and more seriously and much worse, I couldn't even stand up from my chair at the worst time.
I hadn't expected that I had to face such a serious situation in my life. I'd never imagined such things like that happened to me. But that happened.
If a concert pianist isn't able to travel and walk on his/her own - it means that the career will end.
---
I was a healthy baby born in Nagoya, Japan. And grew up in a quiet neighbourhood of Okazaki, a truly beautiful city, where Ieyasu Tokugawa was born. I had a happy childhood. My parents often used to take me and my sisters to the swimming pool. I loved swimming, running and classical music.
I ran the 100 meters in 16.00 seconds when I was 9 years old. I was in a track-and-field team: won and got a gold medal at Okazaki City track-and-field meet.
photograph: 9-year-old Yuko receiving gold medals for her and her teammates (Mariko, Tomoko and Chinami) in the 4 x 100-meter relay.
For about 2 years, in 2014 and 2015, I couldn't walk at all.
I've been struggling against the leg muscle pains and struggling to gain new muscles.
I had to cancel all my recitals, performances with orchestra, chamber music concerts, masterclasses, appearances on TV, International Piano Competition jury work and so on. But not only not-being-able-to-work as a pianist, but also, and more seriously and much worse, I couldn't even stand up from my chair at the worst time.
I hadn't expected that I had to face such a serious situation in my life. I'd never imagined such things like that happened to me. But that happened.
If a concert pianist isn't able to travel and walk on his/her own - it means that the career will end.
---
I was a healthy baby born in Nagoya, Japan. And grew up in a quiet neighbourhood of Okazaki, a truly beautiful city, where Ieyasu Tokugawa was born. I had a happy childhood. My parents often used to take me and my sisters to the swimming pool. I loved swimming, running and classical music.
I ran the 100 meters in 16.00 seconds when I was 9 years old. I was in a track-and-field team: won and got a gold medal at Okazaki City track-and-field meet.
photograph: 9-year-old Yuko receiving gold medals for her and her teammates (Mariko, Tomoko and Chinami) in the 4 x 100-meter relay.