Porgy and Bess on Two Pianos

The pianists Mats Jansson and Yoriko Asahara met during their studies with Professor Hans Leygraf in Hannover, Germany. Since 1987 their partnership isn't only a professional one, they are also married to each other. For some years the Piano Duo Jansson-Asahara has devoted much time to four-handed piano playing, both at one piano and at two. They give concerts regularly in Sweden and Japan, and have also appeared in Germany, Austria, the United States and Australia. In recent years the duo has made numerous radio recordings, given recitals on one and two pianos and appeared as soloists with conductors like Neeme Järvi (Mozart), Otto Tausk (Poulenc), Jun'ichi Hirokami (Schnittke, Sköld) and Petter Sundkvist (Adams). Mats Jansson is also teaching piano and chamber music at the Music Academy of Örebro University. The Grainger Fantasy on Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess was recorded during a concert at De Geerhallen in Norrköping, Sweden on April 22, 1996.