The Perfect Instrument for Blending Classical & Jazz

On July 19th, Orkestra Kuala Lumpur will take their audience on an exploration of classical, jazz, and the in-between with their concert Classical to Jazz. 

Kawai Piano Malaysia artist Tengku Mohamad Hadif will be joining Orkestra Kuala Lumpur to perform Gershwin's Piano Concerto in F, a challenging piece that is lush with tonal colours. To bring this piece to life, Kawai Piano Malaysia is sponsoring the Shigeru Kawai SK-3, their top of the line grand piano, which will be placed at Auditorium Bandaraya, Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur for the event. 

The Instrument

The Shigeru Kawai SK-3, which will be featured in this concert, is the Kawai grand piano that is known to provide an extraordinary blend of superb tone and touch. This allows it to deliver a powerful sound gracefully, without sounding harsh. Of the various Kawai grand piano models, this is the ideal instrument that enables a skilled pianist to beautifully bring to life the full spectrum of tonal colours from the Gershwin Piano Concerto in F. 

Each of these pianos are crafted by Master Piano Artisans, combining time-honoured crafting methods, alongside modern methods such as digital design tools to optimise the construction of every component of the pianos. As these pianos require such a reigorous degree of attention to detail, they are a rarity - fewer than twenty of them are produced each year worldwide. 

The Pianist

Tengku Mohamad Hadif is a talented young Malaysian classical pianist. Named "The Most Promising Malaysian Pianist" in the 6th ASEAN International Chopin Piano Competition, he has also been pianist for the Malaysian Philharmonic Youth Orchestra since 2015. 

This performance marks an important step in Tengku Hadif's musical journey as he explores a more diverse sound palette and a step beyond traditional classical repertoire. "Working on this piece has challenged me to step outside my comfort zone as a classical pianist, but I've enjoyed the process and welcome the freedom to experiment with different interpretations," he shared about his experience working on the Gershwin piano concerto. "It's a good opportunity to introduce the public to music that sits between to genres, and to immerse in the creativity of Gershwin's writing, especially since the entire work was orchestrated by Gershwin himself."

Classical to Jazz will take place on 19 July 2025 at Auditorium Bandaraya, Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur.