From War to Education: Michi Hirata North has a Storied Piano Past

By Tyler Sipe/JCCCW
September 2015

In 1940, barely tall enough to reach the piano pedals, eight-year-old piano prodigy Michi Hirata North drew national attention in Japan with her mesmerizing performance of Mozart’s B-flat Major Concerto, K.595 with the Shin Philharmonic Orchestra (now the NHK Symphony Orchestra) and conductor Hisatada Odaka.

North’s performance was so stirring that she was asked to continue playing at venues across Tokyo, providing a much-needed distraction for a country deep in the throes of a bloody global war. In 1943, her public performances were put on hold. Large gatherings had become too risky with the constant roar of warplanes overhead.

The danger did not stop the Japanese government from asking North to help distract a war-weary nation. In March 1945, she was being prepared for a documentary film about her piano accomplishments. An elaborate studio had been built, but on March 9 and 10 the film set—and much of Tokyo—were destroyed by fire in one of the deadliest and most destructive bombing campaigns carried out by U.S. forces during World War II.

“The only thing we took was a bag of sugar,” North said, recalling leaving her family’s home in Tokyo’s Mejiro neighborhood. “And oh, I carried my Tchaikovsky music book that came from Germany.”

North still has the Tchaikovsky music book, printed in the 1920s. It is tinged brown with age, its edges weathered by time.

The Hirata house survived the firebombing of March 1945, but its Western-style design and large size—used primarily as a piano school—soon attracted American occupation officers. The U.S. Army wanted to turn the home into temporary quarters for military officers involved in Japan’s reconstruction.

“If you take my house, there will be no music,” North recalled her father saying. “Children will not learn the beauty of the piano.”

Perhaps it was a nod to the universal language of music, but the Hirata home was never occupied. Instead, it remained a place where music poured into the narrow streets of Mejiro.

The sounds of Mozart, Beethoven, and Chopin drifting from the Hirata household eventually caught the ear of U.S. Army Captain Kermit G. Stewart. Noticing North’s exceptional skill, the music lover and conductor asked her to learn and perform George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. The style was new to Japan, and many Japanese pianists struggled with the iconic piece.

“The song was so different, and technically it is not easy,” North said. “But I’ve always loved a good challenge.”

In 1947, on the 10th anniversary of Gershwin’s death, North premiered several of the American composer’s works in Japan. Her performance at Tokyo’s Takarazuka Theater—then renamed the Ernie Pyle Theatre—was so popular that she went on to perform Gershwin more than 100 times.

Now in her 80s and living in Bellevue, Washington, North continues to teach Gershwin to the next generation of piano prodigies.

She began teaching piano in 1958 and quickly developed a global reputation—something of a rock star in piano circles. Over the decades she has earned deep respect from educators and students alike. Some pupils travel from around the world to study with her for months at a time, many going on to perform in international competitions playing Gershwin, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and other iconic composers.

On Sept. 20, North will take the stage once more, joined by conductor Julia Tai and Philharmonia Northwest, to perform Chopin’s Concerto No. 1 in E minor and Tchaikovsky’s Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor. The concert celebrates 75 years since her debut with the NHK Symphony Orchestra.

The event will benefit the Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Washington.

The Consulate-General of Japan in Seattle is pleased to co-sponsor a reception for this historic event.