May 21, 2025

Mao Fujita Secret Weapon ｜ Learn Real English

Learn Real English ｜ Mao Fujita Secret Weapon

Mao Fujita, the Japanese piano prodigy, has a linguistic secret weapon!

In this English video lesson we’ll see Mao Fujita speaking English in different interviews. We’ll learn some of the key phrases, how to use them, and what Mao is doing to be an effective communicator. A must watch for any classical music fans.

日本の天才ピアニスト、藤田真央さんには言語にも必殺技があるんです。

この英語の動画レッスンでは、藤田真央さんがさまざまなインタビューを英語で話している様子を見ていきながら、重要なフレーズとその使い方、そして効果的なコミュニケーターになるために真央さんが行っていることを学んでいきます。クラシック音楽ファンは必見です。

Transcript ｜ Mao Fujita Secret Weapon

English Stripped Bare - B. Bearington & Naomi Culture & Music: Mao Fujita — Mao Fujita Playing Piano

I have small hands and small body, so I have to use a lot of things. But when I’m on the stage, then I’m always ready.

I’m gonna ask you a personal question.

Yes.

Are… are your hands big enough for Rachmaninoff?

Oh… but, yeah I have played so many Rachmaninoff repertoire since Tchaikovsky competition.

Uh-huh.

And, yeah, so many opportunity to play those Russian composers. Huge… the… the grand composer.

As… as I’m hearing you describe this music and… and playing it with such a passion it… it seems to me like you’re a person who has a lot of energy. Um, is that naturally always there or is that when it’s coming out in the music?

Energy comes later, you know? Through the music.

It seems like there’s a lot of, um, expectation and pressure and… and… and trying to reach for something on a very, very high level. But what I sense from you is you’re always having fun.

Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes.

I love this guy. I wasn’t sure how much energy I’d have this afternoon, but he just gives me energy.

Oh, thank you.

And, no, but the Mozart sonata is one of my… the difficult the project for me. Not even the comparable… comparable as the… the Beethoven cycle. No. Mozart is quite something special.

So tell me, presumably some of the pianists who are playing are your heroes.

Of course. All of them, I have to say.

That’s the right answer.

Yes.

Speaking about the young people;

Yes.

what… what… what advice would you give if a young person came to you and said, “I really love the music very much,”

Yes.

“but I… I find that it’s difficult to be on stage in front of the audience.”

Yeah, I think the nervous came from, you know, your… you practice not enough, I think. And if you prepare the 100% then on the stage, of course it has the nervous and very un… unstable situation. So… But if you prepare 100% then it goes to, like, 75, 85, 80% in the low. But… So yeah. If you prepare 100% it’s okay. If you prepare 120% it will be fantastic.

Oh, that reminds me of my… my favorite quote of Martha Argerich. She’s always practicing so much,

Yes.

and she said, um, she says; “I’m… I’m losing 100% of my ability on the stage. That’s why I have to prepare 200%.”

Oh, that’s… that’s… that’s very nice. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

But pretend… pretend is also very important, you know? If you show you are nervous and I’m not ready, then the people will notice immediately. But pretend like I’m very ready. If you’re not ready, but, yeah, if you pretend like ready, then the people will know. Of course the some of the people notice, but the… not all audiences are unhappy. You know?