Japanese Songwriter and Composer Yoshiki to Make His Royal Albert Hall Debut

Japanese multi-genre songwriter and composer Yoshiki makes his Royal Albert Hall debut, marking his first UK appearance in over six years as part of his latest world tour.

Widely regarded as one of the most influential artists in Japanese history, 57-year-old Yoshiki is a classically trained pianist, rock drummer and frontman for rock groups X Japan and The Last Rockstars, covering a multitude of genres from classical to heavy metal, and selling over 30 million albums.

Yoshiki will be joined by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and special guests on Friday 13 October for a one-off classical performance at the Hall for his first classical performance in London in almost a decade. The concert will celebrate the 10th anniversary of his Yoshiki Classical album and will showcase Yoshiki's original compositions, new arrangements of pieces by classical composers, and orchestral performances of his chart-topping rock songs. The show announcement coincides with the unveiling of his upcoming 2023 world tour Requiem, which will also see performances in New York, Tokyo and LA.

Matthew Todd, Director of Programming and Engagement at the Royal Albert Hall, said "We are delighted to be announcing this show with Yoshiki in October. The Hall has proudly hosted some of the most iconic and innovative names in music throughout our history, and Yoshiki certainly falls into this category. He has achieved so much throughout Asia as well as the rest of the world, and we believe this concert will be an unforgettable night for his many fans in the UK and Europe."

Although being predominantly known as the leader of Japan's most successful rock band, Yoshiki's previous classical albums Eternal Melody I and II were the highest selling classical albums in Japan's history, the first of which was recorded, co-produced and arranged by acclaimed Beatles producer Sir George Martin.

Yoshiki's last classical world tour took place in 2014 where he performed with six string players and sold-out shows in iconic venues across ten countries including United States, Mexico, Germany, France, United Kingdom and throughout Asia.

His music has also soundtracked Hollywood films, with Yoshiki scoring the theme music for the 69th annual Golden Globe Awards. In 2022, his talent competition TV series Yoshiki Superstar Project X was the most popular variety show on Hulu Japan.

Pre-sale at 10am on Thu 18 May for Royal Albert Hall Friends & Patrons

Tickets on general sale at 10am on Fri 19 May at www.royalalberthall.com

Photo Credit: Christie Goodwin

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