New England Conservatory Preparatory School & Musicale to Present Recital By 11-Year Old Piano Phenom Masanobu Pires

New England Conservatory Preparatory School and Musicale will present a special solo piano recital by 11-year old piano phenomenon Masanobu (Masa) Pires from Sharon, MA, to benefit The Jimmy Fund for cancer research. The concert features works by Bach, Schumann, Chopin, Glinka, and Mozart's beloved Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K. 467. The recital takes place on June 12, 2022 at NEC's Williams Hall, and tickets are free with suggested donation levels of $25 for adults and $10 for children, with all proceeds going to The Jimmy Fund.

Masa Pires is not only an excellent pianist, but is also deeply committed to using his musical gift to give back to his community and benefit the greater good. After his cousin Austin passed away from alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma cancer in 2021, Masa knew that he wanted to use his own talent as a pianist to organize fundraiser events for cancer research.

A rising star at the NEC Preparatory School, Masa most recently won First Place in the NEC Prep Concerto Competition on May 21, 2022. He is one of four winners of the Musicale "Outstanding Young Artist Award," selected from close to 1,000 young pianists worldwide who competed in the Musicale Festivals throughout the pandemic. He has won three Gold Prizes at the Musicale Music Festivals and numerous top prizes at competitions in the U.S. and internationally. In the 2023 season, he will be performing Mozart Piano Concerto, K. 467 with one of the NEC Preparatory School Youth Orchestras.

Watch a recent video of Masa performing: https://youtu.be/Rbypj-__v8M

In Masa's own words,

"My name is Masanobu Pires. I am 11 years old and I have played piano since age 4. Every Saturday, I take a train with my mom to go to New England Conservatory Preparatory School. I look forward to Saturdays and spend my whole day at Preparatory School taking classes and lessons for my piano. At the Conservatory, I have many friends I can share my love of music with and many teachers who always help me to grow to become a better musician.

I lost my cousin Austin in May 2021. He had a cancer called alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. He was a sophomore at Emerson College studying his passion, filmmaking. Austin always cared about others and cheered for others. I remember the Thanksgiving he played with me and made me laugh non-stop.

His mom told my mom that while he was at Boston Children's Hospital going through tough chemotherapy and surgeries, he was always looking over other child patients, worrying about whether they would be ok. During the three years he was fighting cancer, he participated in research treatments, hoping that it would help other children.

Just before passing, Austin told his brother Alex, mom Connie, and dad Gus, "I will shine through you." If Austin survived his cancer, he would definitely pursue fundraising for cancer research to save more lives. Austin motivated me to do the fundraising with my piano. I want to help in some way to continue Austin's determination as cancer continues to affect so many lives. I need your help."

Watch Austin's story:

Masa Pires Solo Piano Recital for Cancer Research | Presented by New England Conservatory Preparatory School and Musicale

June 12, 2022 | 4pm

NEC's Williams Hall, 290 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115

Tickets: Free with suggested donation: https://necmusic.edu/events/masanobu-pires-piano-recital-jimmy-fund

Suggested Donations: Adult $25; Children $10

Online Donation Link: http://danafarber.jimmyfund.org/goto/masasrecital

Bring cash or check made out to The Jimmy Fund, or mail a check to Musicale, PO Box 981, 48 Waterfield Rd, Winchester, MA 01890

Program:
J. S Bach, Prelude and Fugue in C Major, WTC, BWV 846
Robert Schumann, Arabesque in C major, Op. 18
Chopin, Nocturne in F minor, Op. 55 No. 1
Chopin, Nocturne in C# minor, Op. Posth no. 16
Glinka/Balakirev, "The Lark"
Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K. 467

About New England Conservatory (NEC)
Founded by Eben Tourjée in Boston, Massachusetts in 1867, the New England Conservatory (NEC) represents a model of music school that combines the best of European tradition with American innovation. This independent conservatory stands at the center of Boston's rich cultural history and musical life, presenting concerts at the renowned Jordan Hall on Huntington Avenue, recognized as Boston's Avenue of the Arts. As a not-for-profit institution that educates and trains musicians of all ages, NEC cultivates a diverse, dynamic community, providing music students of more than 40 countries with performance opportunities and high-caliber training from 225 internationally esteemed artist-teachers and scholars. Propelled by profound artistry, bold creativity and deep compassion, NEC seeks to amplify musicians' impact on advancing our shared humanity, and empowers students to meet today's changing world head-on, equipped with the tools and confidence to forge multidimensional lives of artistic depth and relevance. NEC pushes the boundaries of music-making and teaching through college-level training in classical, jazz, and contemporary improvisation. Through unique interdisciplinary programs such as Entrepreneurial Musicianship and Community Performances & Partnerships, NEC empowers students to create their own musical opportunities. As part of NEC's mission to make lifelong music education available to everyone, the Preparatory School and School of Continuing Education deliver training and performance opportunities for children, pre-college students and adults.

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