After making her orchestral debut at nine, Japanese pianist Yu Kosuge (b. 1983) relocated to Germany in 1993 to further her studies and remains based in Berlin. She has recorded multiple albums for Sony, and this latest features two piano concertos: Maurice Ravel’s 20th-century classic in G paired with Impulse, a work written for Kosuge by Japanese composer Dai Fujikura (b. 1977) who has been based in the UK since the age of 15.

Kosuge and Fujikura are long-time friends and mutual admirers; both are acclaimed award-winners in their fields. Kosuge was so moved by Impulse that she waited four years after its live premiere in 2018 before making a recording, in order to “grow with the piece,” as she put it. It’s a stunning single-movement work, full of flashes of colour and unusual interplay between piano and orchestra, particularly in the ethereal upper registers when the piano seems to be breathing. 

Although very different in outlook, Impulse is complemented beautifully by Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G. Both share jazz elements, as...