KINGSTON, R.I. – July 8 – Art has the elusive power to bring together two disparate cultures and create something new, original, and beautiful. Musicians and University of Rhode Island Music Department alumni Moé Takamatsu ‘24, a pianist from Japan, and Adrian Montero ‘24, a classical guitarist from Costa Rica, bring together their backgrounds and perform as the Hashi Duo. They will return to campus this summer as featured performers in the Kingston Chamber Music Festival, joining an international roster of artists on July 31 in the Fine Arts Center.

“Hashi,” meaning “bridge” in Japanese, connects cultures and combines traditional and contemporary composers from Japan and Latin America. Their repertoire includes solo and chamber music for classical guitar and piano, reflecting cultural similarities and differences. The duo aims to deepen their understanding of each other’s cultures while sharing their histories and traditions.

“Latin American music tends toward outward expression; Japanese music toward subtlety and nuance — working through this strengthened our musical bond,” said Montero.

Takamatsu is anaccomplished pianist who began lessons with her mother at age 3, earned her Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance from Tokyo College of Music (2018-2022), and continued her studies with Dr. Manabu Takasawa at the University of Rhode Island. Her accolades include first prize at the 2015 Okayama Piano Competition, a diploma from Italy’s Tadini Academy, and a performance of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 with the Okayama Philharmonic. These experiences prepared her for the collaborative work she later found at URI.

Adrian Montero knew from an early age that he wanted to learn guitar, even without any familial history in the art form. After he gained his footing with the instrument in Costa Rica, Montero wanted to continue his education and play around the world. After connecting with Adam Levin over social media, he found his way to URI. He is praised for his passionate playing, technique, and innovative programming, and he has won over fifteen prizes in competitions across Europe and the Americas. He is also an active recording artist and an advocate for new music, with a focus on contemporary Costa Rican and Ibero-American composers.

As the two sole international students enrolled in the Music Department at the time, Takamatsu and Montero quickly leaned on each other throughout their studies. Through lessons and ensemble performances, their friendship evolved into the artistic partnership that became Hashi Duo. Both feel prepared for the next steps in their musical careers because of the opportunities their program provided. Takamatsu came from a program in Japan where she was one of 120 pianists; at URI, she had the opportunity to accompany and play with other instruments and musicians, chorus performances, and the orchestra. Beyond the experiential aspect, she also developed collaboration skills by working with faculty and maintaining connections.

Montero began his career at URI with international performances and touring under his belt. Coming to a small program offered him opportunities to expand his talent and approach his music differently. He credits his professor and mentor, Adam Levin, for pushing him to think bigger and for helping shape that transition.

“I remember clearly the first class he said to me, Adrian, what do you want to do? And of course, we see the practical things, right? For example, you need money for this, and he helped me figure it out at each step,” said Montero. “It came from the place of him pushing me to pursue my dreams as big as they are.”

The collaboration they began at URI continues to gain momentum! They recently released their first album, International Waters, with the help of the University of Rhode Island Humanities Graduate Research Grant and the Sparks Grant from the University of California School of Music. The pair will perform in Dallas to celebrate the release of their album and will later begin a second recording project at USC. Individually, Takamatsu will relocate to Texas to pursue a new professional program, and Montero is preparing for an orchestra recording session in September.  

The Kingston Chamber of Music Festival was established in 1989 by David Kim, concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra since 1999, with the support of URI administrators, the Kingston Chamber Music Festival was born from Kim’s vision of bringing world-renowned musicians to southern Rhode Island for chamber music concerts at affordable prices. Each summer, the festival presents a two-week concert series on URI’s Kingston Campus.

Takamatsu and Montero made festival history last summer as the first URI students to perform as graduate students. This year marks their second appearance at the festival.

Visit the Kingston Chamber Music Festival website to purchase tickets, and stream International Waters on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.