Mebrakh Haughton-Johnson & Kumi Matsuo

Biography

Mebrakh Haughton-Johnson

Rising British clarinettist Mebrakh Haughton-Johnson has performed at major venues across the USA, Europe, and Australia, including Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Wigmore Hall, and the Edinburgh and Adelaide Festivals.

In the 2024-25 season, he will appear as a soloist with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, on tour with dance troupe A.I.M by Kyle Abraham as saxophone soloist, and as guest principal E-flat clarinet with Britten Sinfonia + Professor Brian Cox at the Royal Opera House. Other highlights include performances with Anthony McGill for Reich’s New York Counterpoint at Barclays Center Arena and with Chineke! Orchestra at the BBC Proms.

A graduate scholar of The Royal College of Music and Juilliard, Mebrakh is grateful for generous support from all his friends and family, Jerome L. Greene Foundation, Royal Philharmonic Society, Victoria Robey and Munster Trust. 

Kumi Matsuo

Kumi Matsuo is a versatile solo pianist, chamber musician and accompanist. Winner of the 5th Louisiana International Piano Competition, she has also won Second Prize at the 75th Music Competition of Japan, Third Prize at the 22nd Ferrol International Piano Competition and First Prize at the 6th Isidor Bajic International Piano Competition. After graduating from the Toho Gakuen School of Music, she moved to London for further study at the Royal College of Music where she gained an Artist Diploma and a Master of Music in Performance with Distinction. Her study was generously supported by the Charles Napper Award, the Russell Gander Award and the Rohm Music Foundation.

During her study at RCM, Kumi performed Ravel’s Piano Concerto for Left Hand with RCM Sinfonietta conducted by Peter Stark, Schnittke’s Concerto Grosso No.1 with RCM Chamber Orchestra under Vladimir Jurowski and Prokofiev’s 3rd Piano Concerto with RCM Symphony Orchestra conducted by Martin André. She is now on the staff at RCM, working as Duo Coach to the String Faculty, as well as accompanying other instruments.

Programme

Mebrakh Haughton-Johnson and Kumi Matsuo invite you on an exhilarating journey through four distinct works that celebrate expressive breadth and versatility.

The programme starts with James Lee III’s Principal Brothers No. 3, a striking solo work for clarinet that draws on rich harmonic palettes. Inspired by themes of brotherhood and shared heritage, the work reflects Lee’s unique compositional voice, blending elements of storytelling and spiritual reflection.

Following is Aaron Copland’s iconic Clarinet Concerto, a spirited fusion of classical elegance and jazz-inspired exuberance. Originally composed for Benny Goodman, the concerto’s playful syncopations and bittersweet melodies reflect Copland’s uniquely American voice.

Jamaican-born composer Eleanor Alberga’s Duo from Dancing with the Shadow shifts the mood with its vibrant interplay of rhythm and texture, capturing the evocative and mystical essence of its title.

Blending soaring melodies with moments of serene beauty and playful charm, the programme concludes with Johannes Brahms’ Clarinet Sonata No. 2 in E-flat Major, Op. 120. 

Written during Brahms’ twilight years, this work captures an emotional depth that is, at once, tender and profound.