Hosokawa, Toshio
Toshio Hosokawa was born in 1955. Following initial studies in piano and composition in Tokyo, he came to Berlin in 1976 to study composition with Isang Yun at the Universität der Künste. He continued his studies with Klaus Huber at the Hochschule für Musik in Freiburg from 1983 to 1986. In 1980, he participated for the first time in the Darmstädter Ferienkurse für Neue Musik where some of his compositions were performed. From 1989 to 1998, the composer was the artistic director and organiser of the annual Akiyoshidai International Contemporary Music Seminar and Festival in Yamagushi which he had co-founded. Since 2001, he has additionally been the artistic director of the Japanese Takefu International Music Festival in Fukuj. He was appointed permanent guest professor at the Tokyo College of Music in 2004. Hosokawa lives in Nagano, Japan and in Mainz, Germany.
Hosokawa’s compositions include orchestral works, solo concertos, chamber music and film music alongside works for traditional Japanese instruments.The orchestral work Circulating Ocean was composed in 2005 as a commission for the Salzburg Festival. Valery Gergiev conducted the world premiere in Salzburg.Woven Dreams is an award-winning work of Roche Commissions, which was premiered by the Cleveland Orchestra at the Lucerne Festival in 2010 and won a BASCA British Composer Award in 2013. The Horn Concerto – Moment of Blossoming was written for the horn virtuoso Stefan Dohr, who premiered it with the Berliner Philharmoniker under Sir Simon Rattle’s direction in 2011.
In the oratorio Voiceless voice in Hiroshima (1989/2000-01) for soloists, narrator, choir, accompanying tape (playback tape) (ad lib.) and orchestra, Hosokawa takes as his subject the devastating atomic bomb explosion at the end of the Second World War in the city of his birth. The composer approaches the unutterable through his extreme musical language – the brutal tonal world of brass and percussion and the colourful chordal landscape of the choir. A series of compositions for varying instrumentations is dedicated to the victims of Japan’s 2011 tsunami and subsequent nuclear disaster. Meditation for orchestra evolves from a silent Meditation to an elegy while the brass and percussion instruments warn of the approaching tsunami in the background.
His first opera Vision of Lear was premiered at the Münchener Biennale in 1998. Hosokawa succeeds in bridging East and West in his Shakespeare adaptation: modern European musical theatre meets the Japanese traditions of Nō-Theatre on the basis of the Renaissance play. Hosokawa’s second opera, Hanjo, was first staged at the Festival in Aix-en-Provence in 2004, followed by further performances in Brussels, Hamburg, Lisbon, Bielefeld, Lyon, Tokyo and Milan. Woven Dreams is an award-winning work of Roche Commissions, which was premiered by the Cleveland Orchestra at the Lucerne Festival in 2010. His third opera Matsukaze premiered at La Monnaie Brussels in 2011 (Sasha Waltz, staging). Hosokawa also wrote the opera Stilles Meer in response to these terrible events. It was commissioned by Hamburg State Opera and saw its premiere conducted by Kent Nagano in January 2016. Many works were premiered under the baton of the world’s leading conductors: Kazushi Ono, Kent Nagano, Sir Simon Rattle, and Robin Ticciati, among others. Many of the works mentioned above have become an important part of the contemporary repertoire.
Hosokawa has received numerous awards and prizes: Among them the first prize in the composition competition for the 100th anniversary of the Berliner Philharmoniker (1982), the Arion Music Prize (1984), the Kyoto Music Prize (1988) and the Rheingau Music Prize (1998). From 1998 to 2007 he was Composer in Residence at the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. Hosokawa was appointed member of the Akademie der Künste in Berlin in 2001. In 2006/07 and 2008/09, he undertook a period of research at the Institute for Advanced Study [Wissenschaftskolleg] in Berlin. He was Composer in Residence at the Biennale di Venezia (1995, 2001), the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra (1998-2007), the International Music Festival of Lucerne (2000), musica viva in Munich (2001), Musica nova Helsinki (2003), Warsaw Autumn (2005, 2007) and others. He was Artistic Director of the Suntory Hall International Program for Music Composition from 2012-2015.
Concert Producer
Itoh, Kei
Ms. Kei Itoh is the first Japanese to have ever won the first prize at the 1983 Munich International Piano Competition. She began studies on the piano from childhood under Ms. Kazuo Ariga. Graduating in 1977 from Tokyo’s renowned Toho Gakuen High School, she pursued her further studies in Europe at Salzburg’s Mozarteum Conservatory and under Hans Leygraf at the Hannover Conservatory.
Her Munich debut with the Bayerische Staatsoper Orchestra under the baton of Wolfgang Sawallisch led to subsequent engagements in Europe with the Frankfurter Rundfunk Orchestra, Südwestfunk Symphony Orchestra, Berliner Rundfunk Symphony Orchestra and Warsaw Philharmonic, and Ms. Itoh now performs regularly in Europe with orchestras such as the Czech Philharmonic, as well as with all the major Japanese orchestras: NHK Symphony Orchestra, New Japan Philharmonic, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra etc.
In constant demand as a recitalist, Kei Itoh is known as a particularly fine interpreter of the romantic composers as well as the French repertoire. She recently has completed an 8-year series of annual concerts devoted to the music of Schumann. She gave recitals concentrated in Schubert’s works for eight years from 2008.
A prolific recording artist, Ms. Itoh has released thirteen CDs of music by Schumann in a series entitled Schumanniana on the Fontec label. Other CDs on the same label include two recordings of Brahms Concerto No. 1, a recording Brahms Concerto No. 2 and Ravel’s Concerto in G major, the Chopin Études, a collection of music by Poulenc, a CD featuring works by Chopin, Debussy, Ravel, among others.
A keen chamber musician, Ms. Itoh often partners violinists Tsugio Tokunaga, with whom she has recorded the complete Beethoven and Brahms sonatas, and Tomoko Kato, with whom she released a CD of sonatas by French composers.
Ms. Itoh is a regular guest performer in NHK television’s Meikyoku Classics (Well-known Classics) series, and her engaging personality made her a popular radio host on the much-loved NHK programme O-shaberi Classics (Classic Chat), introducing classical music in a relaxed manner.
In 1993 she was awarded the 19th Annual award of the Japan Chopin Association and a year later received the Cultural Arts Support Award of the City of Yokohama in recognition of her services to classical music.
Since 2003, she has been engaged as Professor at Tokyo University of the Arts. She also teachs at Toho Gakuen College Music Department.
Performer
Serge, Zimmermann (Violin)
Serge Zimmermann, born 1991 in Cologne/Germany into a family of musicians, received his first violin lessons by his mother at the age of five. His musicianship developed rapidly and he made his orchestral debut already a few years later, in 2000, with a violin concerto by Mozart. Since then, he has appeared with renowned orchestras such as Bamberg Symphony, Orquesta Sinfonica de Barcelona, Düsseldorfer Symphoniker, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, Philharmonia Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, NHK Symphony Orchestra Tokyo, Orquesta Nacional de España, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and Orchestra della RAI Torino. He has collaborated with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Lawrence Foster, Hartmut Haenchen, Manfred Honeck, Neeme Järvi, Michael Sanderling and Sir András Schiff. In recital and as an avid chamber musician he has performed in prestigious concert halls such as Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Konzerthaus Berlin and Vienna Konzerthaus as well as at festivals such as Heidelberger Frühling, Klavier-Festival Ruhr, Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, Kissinger Sommer and La Folle Journée.His most recent projects include concerts with the China Philharmonic Orchestra, the Shanghai and Guangzhou Symphony Orchestras as well as a tour with the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn. In Japan, he recently performed Alban Berg’s violin concerto with the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra and gave solo recitals in Tokyo and Yokohama featuring music by J. S. Bach.In autumn 2017, Hänssler Classic released his debut recording where he can be heard together with Frank Peter Zimmermann and the Berliner Barock Solisten in J. S. Bach’s double concerto BWV 1060.He will perform with Bamberger Symphoniker conducted by Mr. Jakub Hrusa in next season.
Yeree, Suh (Soprano)
Yeree Suh delights audiences and critics with her radiant yet nuanced soprano voice, and has become internationally renowned as an interpreter of 17th and 18th century repertoire as well as of contemporary music. Since her debut as Ninfa in Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo under René Jacobs at the Innsbruck Festival 2003 and her appearances at the Berlin Staatsoper and Theater an der Wien, the Korean singer has regularly worked with early music conductors such as Philippe Herreweghe, Ton Koopman, Andrea Marcon, Jean-Christophe Spinosi and Masaaki Suzuki and with ensembles such as Anima Eterna, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, Venice Baroque Orchestra and Finnish Baroque Orchestra. She took the part of Mademoiselle Silberklang in Mozart’s Der Schauspieldirektor on tour with the Concerto Köln under Harald Schmidt, and debuted at the Beijing Festival in 2010 as Semele.With her extraordinary voice control and clear timbre, the soprano is also a prominent interpreter of 20th and 21st century music. Under the direction of Kent Nagano with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Yeree Suh gave the European premiere of Matthias Pintscher’s with lilies white. She has also performed George Benjamin’s A Mind of Winter with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra under Paavo Järvi, Unsuk Chin’s Akrostichon-Wortspiel with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Wolfgang Rihm’s Mnemosyne with the Scharoun Ensemble of the Berlin Philharmonic and Ligeti’s Mysteries of the Macabre with the Ensemble Intercontemporain under Susanna Mälkki. Further she performed in the premiere of Rihm’s Drei Frauen at the Theater Basel (direction: Georges Delnon). Highlights of her repertoire also include works by Pierre Boulez, including Le soleil des eaux, which she performed with Pablo Heras-Casado and Peter Eötvös; Pli selon pli, with Jonathan Nott and Thierry Fischer; and Le Visage Nuptial, with Cornelius Meister. As part of the 40th anniversary celebrations of the Ensemble Intercontemporain under Matthias Pintscher, she recently performed songs by Anton Webern with phenomenal success.The multi-faceted singer has appeared in concert and opera at festivals and venues including the Lucerne Festival, Edinburgh International Festival, Tongyeong International Music Festival, Vienna Konzerthaus, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Philharmonie Paris, Barbican Centre in London, Theater Basel and the Lincoln Center in New York. At the Musikfest Berlin she performed Schoenberg’s Die Jakobsleiter under Ingo Metzmacher; she has also given multiple performances of Orff’s Carmina Burana with Yannick Nézet-Séguin as well as with Jos van Immerseel, who has a close artistic relationship to the singer as conductor as well as accompanist – their Schubertiade performance as well as Carmina Burana has been released on CD.Her discography started in 2008 with her celebrated debut CD Musik der Hamburger Pfeffersäcke with the Elbipolis Barockorchester Hamburg. This was followed by recordings of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas under Leonardo Garcia Alarkon (where she took the role of Belinda), works by Judith Bingham, Handel’s Dixit Dominus under Pierre Cao, Resphighi’s Lauda per la Natività del Signore with the Rundfunkchor Berlin, Bach’s Easter Oratorio and Cantata for Solo Soprano BWV 52 as well as selected cantatas performed under Sigiswald Kuijken.Yeree Suh opens the season in September 2017 with Toshio Hosokawa’s Klage under Shiyeon Sung at the Musikfest Berlin. She will then continue her collaboration with Jos van Immerseel and Anima Eterna, performing Strauss’ Four Last Songs and songs by Gershwin, as well as at the Alte Oper Frankfurt with Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy and Symphony No. 9. Finally, she will appear across the Atlantic as a guest soloist in Calgary, Canada at the end of the season.Yeree Suh studied at the Seoul National University, Universtät der Künste Berlin with Harald Stamm, in Leipzig with Regina Werner-Dietrich and at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis with Gerd Türk. She currently lives in Berlin.
Mario, Caroli (Flute)
Mario Caroli started the flute at the age of 14 and he got his soloist diploma only five years later, when he was 19. He studied with Annamaria Morini and he has been deeply influenced by the great Austrian flutist Manuela Wiesler. At the age of 22, he won in Darmstadt the very coveted international prize “Kranchstein”, which allows him to start a very intense solo career, thanks to an incredible capability of adapting to any kind of repertoire, and particularly developped all over Europe, USA and Japan. His activity starts, as a logical prosecution of the Darmstadt Prize, as an advocate of contemporary music: his fame develops very quickly, and he becomes the preferred interpreters of some of the most important composers of our time. Salvatore Sciarrino, Gyorgy Kurtag, Doina Rotaru, Toshio Hosokawa, Ivan Fedele, Kaija Saariaho, Joji Yuasa and many others write for him beautiful solo pieces and flute concertos, which significantly help the development of the solo flute literature. After years dedicated exclusively to this activity, his career turns again toward to the wide repertoire, without distinction of styles. This makes his figure completely apart from all the other soloists, absolutely unique and always surprising for his always new and fresh approach to his interpretations, who posses any incredible virtuosity as well as a vibrant personality. The critics have unanimously talked about him as a “phenomenon” for his overwhelming interpretations of Bach, Schubert or Debussy, and the “New York Times” has underlined the exceptional quality of his sound, by writing that “you would drink in”.Regularly present in the most prestigious festivals all over the world, Mario has performed at the Berlin and Cologne Philharmonie, at Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, at Wiener Konzerthaus, at Royal Festival Hall in London, at Suntory Hall in Tokyo, at the Lincoln Center in New York, Scala of Milano, al Palais des Beaux Arts in Brussels, at the Herkulessaal in Münich or at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. He has been a soloist invited by orchestras such Philhamonia in London, Tokyo Philharmonic, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, the Orchestras of the Italian (RAI), German (WDR, SWR) and Roumanian Radio, Orchestre National de Belgique, Icelandic National Orchestra, Tokyo Sinfonietta, Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, Aukso Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Opera Houses of Bari, Cagliari, Verona, Rouen and Stuttgart, the Neue Vocalsolisten, Les Percussions de Strasbourg, the Ensemble Contrechamps of Geneva, under the baton of very important conductors.Mario has recorded about 40 cds, which got countless prizes from the critics. Invited for masterclasses and seminars from very important musical Institutions through the world, like the “FROMM” residency at Harvard University (Cambridge, USA) in 2008. A cosmopolitan and polyglot artist (he regularly speaks six languages), Mario lives in France, in Strasbourg, where he teaches flute at the Académie Supérieure the Musique and he hold the chair for flute at the Musikhochschule in Freiburg, one of the most prestigious flute position of the world. He got a PhD in Philosophy, and he plays a Miyazawa platinum flute.Mario Caroli started the flute at the age of 14 and he got his soloist diploma only five years later, when he was 19. He studied with Annamaria Morini and he has been deeply influenced by the great Austrian flutist Manuela Wiesler.At the age of 22, he won in Darmstadt the very coveted international prize “Kranchstein”, which allows him to start a very intense solo career, thanks to an incredible capability of adapting to any kind of repertoire, and particularly developped all over Europe, USA and Japan. His activity starts, as a logical prosecution of the Darmstadt Prize, as an advocate of contemporary music: his fame develops very quickly, and he becomes the preferred interpreters of some of the most important composers of our time. Salvatore Sciarrino, Gyorgy Kurtag, Doina Rotaru, Toshio Hosokawa, Ivan Fedele, Kaija Saariaho, Joji Yuasa and many others write for him beautiful solo pieces and flute concertos, which significantly help the development of the solo flute literature.After years dedicated exclusively to this activity, his career turns again toward to the wide repertoire, without distinction of styles. This makes his figure completely apart from all the other soloists, absolutely unique and always surprising for his always new and fresh approach to his interpretations, who posses any incredible virtuosity as well as a vibrant personality. The critics have unanimously talked about him as a “phenomenon” for his overwhelming interpretations of Bach, Schubert or Debussy, and the “New York Times” has underlined the exceptional quality of his sound, by writing that “you would drink in”.Regularly present in the most prestigious festivals all over the world, Mario has performed at the Berlin and Cologne Philharmonie, at Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, at Wiener Konzerthaus, at Royal Festival Hall in London, at Suntory Hall in Tokyo, at the Lincoln Center in New York, Scala of Milano, al Palais des Beaux Arts in Brussels, at the Herkulessaal in Münich or at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. He has been a soloist invited by orchestras such Philhamonia in London, Tokyo Philharmonic, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, the Orchestras of the Italian (RAI), German (WDR, SWR) and Roumanian Radio, Orchestre National de Belgique, Icelandic National Orchestra, Tokyo Sinfonietta, Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, Aukso Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Opera Houses of Bari, Cagliari, Verona, Rouen and Stuttgart, the Neue Vocalsolisten, Les Percussions de Strasbourg, the Ensemble Contrechamps of Geneva, under the baton of very important conductors.
Jeroen, Berwaerts (Trumpet)
Jeroen Berwaerts played his solos with astounding virtuosity, eloquence, and deep emotion: a compelling realisation of great music. DIE WELT Belgian trumpeter Jeroen Berwaerts (b. 1975) is a musical force to be reckoned with whose all-embracing love of music knows no boundaries of genre. Praised for his outstanding technical capabilities and sensitive musicality, his repertoire encompasses every epoch, from baroque music to contemporary music and jazz. He has appeared as a soloist with leading orchestras including the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Vienna Symphony, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, NDR Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg and the Symfonieorkest Vlaanderen under conductors such as Alan Gilbert, Yakov Kreizberg, Jun Märkl and Matthias Pintscher.
His recent concert highlights include the Dutch premiere of Toshio Hosokawa’s second trumpet concerto Im Nebel with the Philharmonie Zuidnederland, as well as the Belgian premiere of Francesco Filidei’s Carnevale. Jeroen Berwaerts gave the world premieres of both works in 2013 and 2015 respectively. Other highlights include performing at the opening of the chamber music hall of the “Malmö Live” concert and congress centre with the brass section of the Malmö Symphony Orchestra, the creation of the Signals from Heaven programme, the continuation of his collaboration with the Ensemble Resonanz and his recent performances in Japan.
Jeroen Berwaerts is only the second trumpeter worldwide – after Håkan Hardenberger, for whom the work was written – to add HK Gruber’s Busking (2007) to his repertoire. His performances of this virtuosic trumpet concerto at the First Hamburg International Music Festival and Bregenz Festival in the summer of 2014 garnered high praise.
As well as his burgeoning trumpet career, Jeroen Berwaerts has completed jazz vocal studies at the Royal Conservatory of Ghent. He has developed several programmes with piano, strings, organ and brass ensemble in which he combines trumpet and voice as well as classical, jazz and other genres in a truly unique way. Jeroen Berwaerts’ open-mindedness and resplendent playing have brought him invitations to internationally renowned music festivals, including the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Niedersächsische Musiktage, Takefu International Music Festival in Japan, Ars Musica in Belgium, Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Rheingau Musik Festival.
Jeroen Berwaerts’ discography was recently complemented with the addition of a recording of Paul Hindemith’s trumpet sonata with Alexander Melnikov. The award-winning CD, released on Harmonia Mundi, features a number of the composer’s sonatas, among them the violin sonata with Isabelle Faust. He previously collaborated with Melnikov on the 2012 recording of Shostakovich’s Concerto for Piano, Trumpet and String Orchestra with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra under Teodor Currentzis, also on Harmonia Mundi. In the same year, NEOS released a recording of Toshio Hosokawa’s Voyage VII featuring him as soloist with the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg.
Jeroen Berwaerts studied in Karlsruhe with the celebrated trumpet-virtuoso Reinhold Friedrich. He has been awarded numerous prizes from competitions such as the Concours Maurice André and the Prague Spring International Music Competition (both 1997).
Since 2008, Jeroen Berwaerts has been a Professor of Trumpet at the Hochschule für Musik in Hannover. He is a Yamaha Artist.
Pestalozza, Andrea (Conductor)
Already from an early age on, Andrea Pestalozza was an assiduous and habitual frequenter to the most important Italian composers such as Berio, Nono, Donatoni, Sciarrino, and Bussotti and became a profound scholar of modern music.
After a period of time as a percussionist and a pianist he made his debut as a concert conductor when he conducted the Ensemble Orfeo, founded by himself, after which followed Berio’s invitation to conduct the Orchestre National de France in Paris.
In 1990 he met Kurtág for the first time and the meeting was to leave an indelible mark on his approach to interpreting. Having conducted Messages of the Late R.V. Troussova in Paris, with the Ensemble Itinéraire, he was invited by Kurtag to conduct the UMZE and the Radio Symphony Orchestra in Budapest during a festival to honour his eightieth birthday.
He has conducted the most prestigious ensembles as Scharoun Ensemble of the Berliner Philharmoniker, MusikFabrik, Itineraire, Oslo Sinfonietta, Ensemble UnitedBerlin etc. in the prestigious institutions of Paris, Berlin (Festwochen, Konzerthaus), London, Milan (Teatro alla Scala, Orchestra RAI), Florence (Maggio Musicale), Venice (Teatro la Fenice), Brandenburger Symphoniker, etc.
During the festival Milano Musica 2009 he presented Toshio Hosokawa’s masterpiece Voiceless Voice in Hiroshima with the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI and the Hiroshima chorus, in 2010 Cassandra by Jarrell with the Sharoun Ensemble and Fanny Ardent and in 2011 Concertini by Helmut Lachenmann with the Orchestra Verdi of Milan.
He had his debut at the Salzburger Biennale in 2011 with the OENM, Oesterreichischer Ensemble fur Neue Musik, in 2012 he conducted the Scharoun Ensemble of the Berliner Philarmoniker at La Scala in Milan and in 2013 he conducted the Musik Fabrik Ensemble in Stuttgart.
He has also had a principle role in the organizing of musical events and was artistic director of Milano Musica.
He has worked with eminent musicians including Cathy Berberian, Sara Mingardo, Luisa Castellani, Renaud Capucon, Luigi Gaggero, and conducted in the presence of Nono, Donatoni, Berio, Kurtág, Hosokawa, Dufourt, Lachenmann, Seither compositions of theirs.
He has recorded CD’s of piano compositions by Janacek and Marij Kogoj (Dynamic), …quasi una fantasia… for piano and orchestra by Kurtág conducted by Zoltan Pesko (Ricordi) and Vanitas by Salvatore Sciarrino (Ricordi).
Recently a CD (Stradivarius) has been published dedicated to Hosokawa with the Saarbruecken Radio Orchestra and a DVD of the opera Mr. Me by Luca Mosca performed for the very first time in Venice.
He studied the piano with Martha Del Vecchio, orchestral conducting with Piero Bellugi, percussion playing with Franco Campioni and David Searcy and composition with Salvatore Sciarrino.
Shirai, Kei (Violin)
Japanese violinist Kei Shirai was born in Trinidad and Tobago and began playing the violin at the age of three. As a child he was taught by Tsugio Tokunaga and, while studying at Geidai University of the Arts in Tokyo, by Chikashi Tanaka and Miyoko Yamane-Goldberg. Upon his graduation in 2007, Kei Shirai was awarded a Japanese Government Scholarship to continue his studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna with Johannes Meissl. Among his awards at major international competitions are the second prize and the audience prize at the 2009 ARD Competition in Munich. Kei enjoys a multi-faceted career as a recitalist, concerto soloist and chamber musician. His concert engagements take him frequently to Japan’s biggest venues and festivals. In Europe he performs regularly with the Stefan Zweig Trio and the Ludwig Chamber Players: an acclaimed mixed instrumentation ensemble based in Stuttgart. Kei Shirai is a concert master of the Kobe City Chamber orchestra, a post he has held since 2013.
Aida, Ribon (Violin)
Hemmi, Yasutaka (Violin)
Born in Matsue, Japan, HEMMI is one of the most dynamic and active violinists for contemporary music in Japan. He has been invited to many international festivals and given literally dozens of premieres. He has invented new techniques for the violin and collaborated with composers, dancers, visual artists, actors and many others. From 2001 to 2003, he was a member of Champ d’Action (Belgium), and from 2003, he has been a member of ‘next mushroom promotion’ (Osaka). His solo CD ‘Violin Encounters’ was released through Megadisc (Belgium) in 2004. HEMMI’s performances are also available on numerous CDs or DVDs.
Yohanan, Chendler (Vilin)
Yohanan Chendler is a composer and violinist originally from Jerusalem, Israel. His works have been performed in Israel, across Europe, the US and Japan. Yohanan’s music was performed by internationally acclaimed musicians and ensembles such as Meitar Ensemble, the Israeli Chamber Project, Ariel Quartet, the Lydian Quartet, ICE, ECCE, Juventas Ensemble, Verspiel New Music, Etymos Ensemble, Die Musiker Witz, pianist Yaron Kohlberg, percussionist Mizuki Aita, shakuhachi player Tadashi Tajima and others. His works have been published by Berben Musical Editions and Lucian Badian Edition. Yohanan received prizes from the Cluster Association, Michele Pittaluga Composition Competition, the Mark Kopytman Composition Competition and the San Francisco State University composition competition. He received his Bachelor’s degree in composition from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance where he studied with Mark Kopytman and was supported by scholarships from the America-Israel Cultural Foundation. Yohanan holds a PhD degree in composition and theory from Brandeis University. He was selected for composition course at the Aspen Music Festival and School, composition course at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena with Azio Corghi, and the Etchings Festival in France. In 2017 and 2018 he has been an Invited Composer at the Takefu International Music Festival in Japan. As a violinist, Yohanan is an avid player of new music and premiered dozens of chamber and solo works in the US, Israel and Japan. He appeared with Juventas Ensemble, Sound Icon, East Coast Contemporary Ensemble, the Lydian String Quartet, Die Musiker Witz, Meitar Ensemble and performed at the Takefu International Music Festival. Yohanan has taught music theory at Brandeis, Clark and Harvard Universities. Since 2014 Yohanan is residing in in Japan. He teaches violin in Tokyo, and teaches English at Kanto Gakuin University.
Akasaka, Tomoko (Viola)
Tomoko Akasaka won numerous prizes, among them the 1st prize at the 12th Japan classical music competition and the 3rd prize at the 53th Munich International music competition.Tomoko Akasaka has performed as a soloist and chamber musician worldwide. As a soloist she has appeared with the Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, the Muenchener Kammerorchester, the Orchestre de chamber de Genève, the Filarmonica banatul timisoara, the Venezuela Symphony Orchestra, the Kremerata Baltica, the Ensemble Contrechamps,and the Japan Symphony orchestra under the baton of conductors like Seiji Ozawa, Johannes Kalitzke, Raman Kofman, Kazuki Yamada, Gheorghe Costin, Olivier Cuendet and Günther Herbig. She has recently given a widely acclaimed series of recitals in Japan, Switzerland, France, Italy, and Germany amongst others. The series of Recitals in Geneva and Tokyo has been broadcasted by Swiss Romande, and NHK-TV. Her chamber music partners included Mstislav Rostropovich, Daniel Hope, Gidon Kremer, Heinz Holliger, Menahem Pressler, Charles Neidich, Kuss Quartet at international music festivals such as Salzburg Festival Lockenhaus Festival, Bad-Kissingen sommer, Mecklenburg Vorpommern, BBC Proms, Saito-Kinen Festival, Pablo Casals Festival, Luzern and Verbier Festival, Zagreb Chamber music festival, Kronberg Cello Festival, Rio de Janeiro Festival, San Francisco Musical days, Schubertiade and others. Tomoko Akasaka has performed at concert venues including the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Konzerthaus and Philharmonie Berlin, Royal Albert hall in London, Vienna Konzerthaus, Zurich Tonhalle, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Schloss Nymphenburg Munich, Shanghai Grand Theater,and National Centre for the performing arts in Beijing,Geneva Victoria Hall and Grand Théâtre, Her recent collaboration with the composer György Kurtág has had a profound influence on her work as a musician. Tomoko Akasaka studied with Nobuko Imai for whom she worked for as an assistant professor at the Geneva conservatory of music. In addition Ms. Akasaka worked as a guest professor at the conservatory of Neuchâtel. Currently she teaches at Robert-Schumann-Hochschule Düsseldorf.
Makino, Kimi (Viola)
Kimi Makino started playing the violin at the age of 3, and begun viola at 15. She studied at the SOAI University of Music, Osaka, with Machie Oguri, at the Haute Ecole de Musique in Geneva with Nobuko Imai and Miguel Da Silva, and at the Royal Northern College of Music with Garth Knox. She has won numerous prizes, including third prize at the Second Tokyo International Viola Competition, and the Kyoto Aoyama Music Award. She has performed as soloist with the Japan Century Symphony Orchestra and Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, amongst others, and participated in various festivals including Viola Space, Verbier Academy, Lucerne Festival, Takefu International, Groba, Open Chamber Music in Prussia cove and Les Estivals de Megève. Since March 2017 she plays in BBC Philharmonic as Assistant Principal. http://www.kimi-makino.com/
Yamamoto,Shu (Viola)
Yokosaka, Gen (Cello)
Gen Yokosaka began to play the cello at the age of 4. He won the numerous competitions including Viva Hall Cello Competition in 2002 at the age of 15 (youngest ever winner), Idemitsu Music Award in 2005, Hideo Saito Memorial Fund Award in 2008, International Music Competition of ARD Munich (2nd prize in cello category) in 2010. And he had participated at Lucerne Festival Academy. He has performed with most of the main orchestras in Japan including NHK Symphony Orchestra, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra and Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra. Gen has studied with Katsuro Washio, Hakuro Mohri and Jeean – Guihen Queyras and studied at the Musikhochschule Stuttgart. And he plays a 1710 cello by Pietro Giacomo Rogeri kindly loaned by the Suntory Foundation.
Mizuno, Yuya (Cello)
Yuya Mizuno was born in Tokyo in 1998. He has been learning to play the cello since he was six. He has received several awards in competitions held in Japan. In 2014, he won the Third Prize in the 83rd Music Competition of Japan and in 2015, he won the First Prize and Audience Award in the 13th Tokyo Music Competition. He graduated from Toho Gakuen Music High School at the top of the class and entered the Soloist Diploma Course of Toho Gakuen College on a scholarship. Now he studies under Prof. Sumiko Kurata. He is also on a scholarship from the Ezoe Memorial Foundation. Yuya Mizuno played the cello as a soloist with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra and Japan Virtuoso Symphony Orchestra in famous music halls in Japan, such as Suntory Hall and Tokyo Bunka Kaikan. In 2016, he also performed a solo recital in Tokyo and Shizuoka. He is a promising young Japanese cellist.
Tai, Tomoki (Cello)
Born in Osaka in 1982. He majored cello at Tokyo University of the Arts. He started his activities in a contemporary music performance group <Ensemble Bois> in his college days. He has performed more than 150 world premiere pieces. He played with the Central Aichi Symphony Orchestra, the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra as a soloist. He started CD label / concert planning organization <time form record> from 2010. In addition to cello, he plays viola da Gamba and his own electric musical instrument. He won a New Horizon Special Award in Takefu International Music Festival 2012.
Hosoi, Yui (Cello)
He graduated from Tokyo College of Music string department as the top student. While in the college, he earned a scholarship. He appeared in the graduation concert, Yomiuri Shinjin concert. He won the first prize in the 54th Kamakura Student Music Competition Cello division and Nomura Koichi Award. He has participated in the Laurier String Quartet with modern music as the main activity field since 2010. He performed in Project Q Chapter 10, Viola space 2013 Hindemith String Quartet Full Concert, Performance Q Chapter 11, Ensemble Series by JT, Kitakyushu International Music Festival, etc. He won the audience award at the Munetsugu Hall String Quartet Competition 2016. He studied in the master class of Alexander Hülshoff, Wen-Sinn Yang, Hidemi Suzuki, David Geringas, Gustav Rivinius, and Kenji Nakagi. He studied cello under Akira Kubota, Akira Sato, Asako Hisatake, Masaharu Kanda and Dmitry Feygin. Currently working as a member of orchestra, chamber music, and a solo player.
Kitamura, Tomoki (Piano)
Born in Aichi in 1991, Tomoki Kitamura began playing the piano at the age of three. Since his early years he has won prizes at several piano competitions including the Ettlingen International Competition for Young Pianists in 2004, Hamamatsu International Piano Competition in 2006, Sydney International Piano Competition in 2008 and first prize and the Grand Jury Prize at the prestigious Tokyo Music Competition in 2005. He started his career as a recital pianist in 2005 and has been invited by many festivals such as the “Tokyo Summer Festival”, “La Folle Journeé” etc, as well as giving an increasing number of recitals in France and Germany. As a concerto pianist, he has played with many orchestras in Japan including the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra and Nagoya Symphony Orchestra. His broadcast appearances include “Untitled Concert” (TV Asahi), “Piano-Pia” (NHK). Tomoki Kitamura graduated from the Meiwa High School in Aichi and moved to Berlin since 2011 October. Currently he studies under Rainer Becker at the Universitat der Kunste Berlin. Also he studies harpsichord and fortepiano under Mitzi Meyerson.
Imagawa, Hiroyo (Piano)
Completed study at State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgartand Mozarteum University in Salzburgearninghermaster’s degree with highest honor. She is a Prize winner of several international competitions: the 1st Prize and the specialD ebussy Prize at the Piano Competition “CittàdiSalerno” in 2002, and the same year she won the 2nd Prize at the J.Brahms Competition,followed by the 3rd Prize at the Anton Rubinstein Piano Competition in 2003 and the 2nd Prize at the Schubert Piano Competition in 2005. Being a distinguished soloist, she was invited by NHK Symphony Orchestra,Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Japan Century Orchestra, Kansai Philharmonic Orchestra, Dortmund Philharmonic Orchestra, Venezuela Symphony Orchestra, Brno Philharmonic Orchestra, Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra, and St.Petersburg Stage Symphony Orchestra of the Mussorgski Theaters. She started teaching at the Osaka University of Arts Visiting Associate Professor since 2015.
Nakagawa, Ken-ichi (Piano)
Ken’ichi Nakagawa, piano Born in Miyagi pref., Japan, Ken’ichi Nakagawa graduated from Toho Gakuen School of Music. He majored piano and conducting. He moved to Belgium to study piano under Robert Groslot and pianoforte under Jos Vam Immerseel at Kroni nkijk Vlaams Concervatorium van Antwerpen, where he finished the High Diploma with Great distinction in 1995, and the Specialization also with Great distinction in 1997. Nakagawa was awarded third prize at the Gaudeamus International Competition in interpreting works in Rotterdam. He plays in Belgium as soloist, chamber music and contemporary music as well as with the Ictus Ensemble, Champ d’action as pianist and assistant conductor. He participated in the Ars Musica Festival in Bruselles and Roymont Festival in Paris. In Japan, he is on high demand as a concert of soloist, chamber musician, and as a conductor in chamber ensemble and chamber operas as well as a member of the Ensemble Nomad, contemporary music ensemble.
Yuya, Tsuda (Piano)
Yuya Tsuda studied at the Tokyo University of the Arts and its graduate school. He has also studied at the Berlin University of the Arts between 2007 and 2011. He has the German national license of performer. He learned piano by Pascal Dovoyon, Gabriel Tacchino, Miyoko Goldberg=Yamane, Hiroshi Kadono and Ruriko Shibuya. Yuya Tsuda received the First Prize, the Audience Prize and the Prize of French Ambassador at the third Sendai International Music Competition. He also received the Special Prize at the Munich International Competition 2011. As piano soloist Yuya Tsuda played with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the German Chamber Orchestra and many Japanese Orchestras. He played together with famous string players, such as Gerard Poulet, Yuzuko Horigome, Teiko Maehashi, Nobuko Yamazaki and Jens Peter Mainz. Yuya Tsuda organized several solo recitals in Tokyo and other cities and received positive recensions. He also performs as member of chamber music ensembles positively. The Duo with Saeka Matsuyama released 4 CDs. He also forms the Piano Trio “Accord” with Kei Shirai and Taiki Kadowaki. In addition, his solo album was released by Fontec in the August 2015. Since spring 2015 he teaches at the Tokyo University of the Arts.
Yamamoto, Junko (Piano)
Junko Yamamoto was born in Japan. She studied contemporary chamber music with Peter Eötvös in Cologne and piano with Claude Helffer in Paris. Currently she is teaching at the University of Music in Stuttgart, Germany and at the University of Music in Basel, Switzerland. She has received awards and grants from the most excellent prize with the Experimental Sound, Art & Performance Festival Tokyo, the special prize for the best performer for spanish contemporary music with the „Xavier Montsalvatge Competition“ in Spain, to the excellent prize with the Cultural Ministry of Ishikawa. Junko Yamamoto as a guest artist has been invited to numerous international music festivals, such as “Le festival musica” in France, “Bartok International Festival” in Hungary, “Biennale Curitiba” in Brazil, “Musicarama Festival” in Hong Kong, “Sinuston Festival” in Germany and “Takefu International Music Festival” in Japan. Her music performances have been broadcasted by Südwestrundfunk, Saarländischer Rundfunk, NHK (Japan), the Hungarian Radio 3, Bayerischer Rundfunk. She founded and directed the “ensemble cross.art”. www.junkoyamamoto.de http://junko-yamamoto.blogspot.de
Oya, Saori (Piano)
After graduating from the Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo with a piano major, Saori Oya went to Europe. In 2000, she graduated summa cum laude from the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. She received the MA in Music with the Grand Distinction Award for piano, chamber music, and contemporary music. Pursued further chamber music and contemporary music study through specialized courses. She received a Belgian government scholarship, and became a piano professor assistant at the conservatory starting in 2004. In addition to soloist activities, she started a duo with pianist and her brother Yutaka Oya in 2001. They were invited to major domestic and international music festivals. She ambitiously took in works from the classical period to the present, and gained a reputation for having a diverse repertoire. She was active in chamber music, contemporary ensembles (Champ d’Action, Ensemble Musique Nouvelles, Prometheus ensemble, Het Spectra ensemble and worked as a keyboard player in some orchestras. After 10 years of activities in Belgium she returned to Japan. Recently, in addition to performing solo recitals and chamber music concerts throughout Japan, she is regularly invited to music festivals in Belgium and Japan. She is also engaged in a wide variety of activities that include conducting outreach programs at schools, giving masterclasses, acting as a judge at competitions, and producing a concert series “Sunday Morning Classic” and “Bonsoir, la Musique”. She received the Fukui Prefecture Cultural Prize, Encouragement Award 2016. Official site www.saorioya.net Official blog http://oyaduo.exblog.jp/
Ueno, Yoshie (Flute)
Yoshie Ueno, a Japanese flutist, graduated first on the top of the list from Tokyo University of Arts. Then she finished the master’s degree program of the Tokyo University of Arts.She won the first prize in various competitions, including Tokyo Music Competition, Japan Wood Wind Competition, and Japan Music Competition. As a soloist, she has performed in Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Germany, France, Austria and Russia. She played with Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra and members of Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra among others. And she performed for Empress Michiko and Prince Naruhito of Japan, performed at dinner party of the Japan and China summit meeting. As of 2016 She released seven CDs [Opera Fantasy] [Isang Yun Flute works] [Eastern Europe Songs] [Amaging Grace] [Relaxing Flute] [Tokyo Sextet] [Beyond The Pyrenees] from Octavia Records Inc. and got high acclaim in Japan. In April 2017, she is going to perform a solo recital in Washington D.C., NY, and release two new CDs. She’s working at Senzoku Gakuen College of Music and Muramatsu Flute lesson center.
Wakabayashi, Kaori (Flute)
Mitsuya, Fu (Flute)
Ueda, Nozomi (Clarinet)
A native of Japan, Nozomi began her musical education on clarinet at Osaka College of Music. After receiving bachelor’s degree, she went to the United States and completed her master’s degree at the Juilliard School, studying with Charles Neidich and Ayako Oshima. While in U.S., she gave her recitals in N.Y. and had been playing as a member of New Juilliard Ensemble. Coming back to Japan in1999, she won the first prize at the 68th Japan Music Award. Since then, she has been performing as a recitalist, chamber musician and orchestral player throughout not only Japan, but also Korea, Hong Kong, Hungary, Mexico and so on. At present, she is a member of next mushroom promotion, specialized in contemporary music, Izumi Sinfonietta Osaka and a faculty of Osaka College of Music and Kyoto City University of Arts.
Ito, Yumi (Clarinet)
Yumi Ito is a New York-based clarinet player; she performs as a soloist, a chamber musician and an orchestral player throughout the world, mainly in the U.S. and in Japan. After receiving BA from Musashino Academia Musicae in Tokyo studying with Masaharu Yamamoto, she has completed MA program at Manhattan School of Music under the direction of Charles Neidich and Ayako Oshima. Achievements in the international competitions include the 42nd International Jeunesses Musicales Competition in Belgrade (2nd prize, with an additional special prize for the best performance of the compulsory piece), the 11th KOBE International Student Music Competition (1st prize), the 2nd International Clarinet Competition in Ghent (finalist), the 11th Tokyo Music Competition (finalist), and the 84th Music Competition of Japan (finalist), to count a few.Yumi has appeared in major concert halls such as the Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center (Alice Tully Hall) in New York; Opera City and Suntory Hall in Tokyo. She has performed as a soloist with orchestras such as Camerata Serbica, the Brussels Philharmonic, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, and Manchester Symphony Orchestra.In addition to her career as a solo player, Yumi is enthusiastic in her activities as a chamber player. She has toured to Hungary and Italy with her ensemble in 2008. She is a member of “NY Licorice Ensemble“; they have released three CDs to introduce contemporary works by composers from all over the world to Japan.
Oishi, Masanori (Saxophone)
Masanori Oishi receiving his undergraduate and master’s degrees from the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music (now Tokyo Unversity of the Arts), Oishi went to France to study at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris in 2001. He graduated with top honors (mention très bien) in saxophone, chamber music, and free improvisation. The same year he advanced to the school’s 3rd level Chamber Music Course (Classe de Musique de Chambre, 3e cycle de perfectionnement), completing it in 2007. From 2002 to 2004 he studied on a research grant from Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs in their Program of Overseas Study for Upcoming Artists.Before returning to Japan in 2008, Oishi played not only in France,but in various countries in Europe, Africa and Asia.His participation in the Tokyo Opera City Cultural Foundation-sponsored recital series B→C 100 garnered him high acclaim. Subsequently, he appeared in such events as the Tokyo Opera City Cultural Foundation Composium, the Suntory Foundation for Art’ Summer Festival, and the Takefu International Music Festival. He also appeared in 2008 in a dance collaboration at the late Pina Bausch’s dance festival in Germany (Internationale Tanzmesse NRW). He has worked extensively, focusing on contemporary and classical music, but also playing concerts, on television and radio, in addition to recording music for commercials. He has released two albums with the Blue Aurora Saxophone Quartet, of which he is a member. His contemporary music group, Tokyo Gen’On Project received the 13th Saji Keizo Prize. He is a lecturer at Tokyo National University of fine Arts and music, Senzoku Gakuen College of Music, and Toho College of Music. www.m-oishi.com
Araki, Kanami (Oboe)
Tsuneda, Mai (Bassoon)
Suzuki, Tosiya (Recorder)
Tosiya SUZUKI studied the recorder at the Sweelinck Concervatorium with Walter van Hauwe in Amsterdam. He specializes in performing contemporary music and working to extend the techniques and the possibilities of the recorder.He worked with composers, such as L.Cori, B.Ferneyhough, T.Hosokawa, S.Sciarrino and J.Yuasa and premiered their works. As a soloist he performed at festivals including, Wien Modern, Tage für Neue Musik Zürich, Gaudeamus, Darmstadt, ISCM World Music Days, Festival d’Automne à Paris, Akiyoshidai, Takefu, Royaumont, Composium, Klangspuren, Tongyeong, Festival A Tempo, Melbourene Recital Centre Opening Festival, New Zealand Festival, China-Asia Music Week, Etching Festival, Summer Festival at Suntory Hall, La Biennale di Venezia (as a Takefu Ensemble) and Melos-Ethos. He has had recitals and workshops in Europe, Russia, Turkey, USA(UCSD, UCBerkeley, Stanford), Venezuela, Asia, New Zealand and Japan. In ‘02 he has been the first lecturer for recorder at the Darmstadt. His solo CD [Tosiya Suzuki Recorder Recital] was awarded ‘Musik & Ästhetik Interpretationspreis 2003’ by der Gesellschaft für Musik und Ästhetike. He was awarded such as the Darmstadt Stipendien Preis, the Kranichstein Musikpreis, the Kenzo Nakajima Music Prize and the Keizo Saji Prize. He teaches at the Elisabeth University of Music. www.tosiyasuzuki.com/
Miyata, Mayumi (Sho)
Mayumi Miyata is distinguished by being one of the first artists to bring the traditional Oriental instrument the SHO, to worldwide recognition. Through her virtuoso performances around the world, Ms. Miyata’s artistry has helped expand awareness of the SHO both in Japan and overseas and she can be credited with making it widely recognized not only as a traditional instrument but one that has a valid place in contemporary music.Having graduated from Kunitachi College of Music in piano, Ms. Miyata studied ‘Gagaku’, (Ancient Japanese Court Music), and in 1979 joined the Gagaku ensemble at the National Theater of Japan. Since her debut Tokyo recital in 1983, she has been active as a soloist and stunned audiences with her performances in Paris, Amsterdam, New York, Seattle and Milan (La Scala), Vienna (Konzerthaus) and at festivals such as Salzburg, Luzern, Rheingau, Schleswig-Holstein, Avignon, Tanglewood, London Proms, Milano Musica, Festival d’Automne a Paris, Donaueschinger Musiktage, Wien Modern, Octobre en Normandie, Darmstadt International Summer Course, Festival Extasis (Geneva), Musica Viva (Munich), Musik Aktive (Dortmund), Orleans International Music Week, Pacific Music Festival Sapporo, Takefu International Music Festial and Akiyoshidai International Contemporary Music Festival.Although the SHO has its origins in Gagaku, and it is this music with which it is traditionally associated, Mayumi Miyata is highly acclaimed for her performances of compositions by many of the world’s leading contemporary composers. She has worked particularly closely with John Cage, having performed the world premiere of all of Cage’s Two3 for SHO and Conch in Italy in 1992, and is also associated with composers such as Toru Takemitsu, Toshio Hosokawa, Helmut Lachenmann, Paul Méfano, Klaus Huber, Pierre-Yves Artaud, Zsigmond Szathmáry, Toshi Ichiyanagi, Maki Ishii, and Joji Yuasa, having been invited to premiere many of their works. Such highlights include major works such as Takemitsu’s evocative “Ceremonial -An Autumn Ode-” with Seiji Ozawa and the Saito Kinen Orchestra and Hosokawa’s “Utsurohi Nagi” performed with the WDR Symphony Orchestra, Cologne in 1996 and Hosokawa’s “Could and Light” with Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern in 2008. In 1997 Ms. Miyata participated in the tremendously successful world premiere in Hamburg of Lachenmann’s major operatic work “The Little Match Girl”, which was followed by performances at Staatstheater Stuttgart, Opera de Paris, Deutsche Oper Berlin and Ruhr Triennale. In 2007 Ms. Miyata has premiered Gerhard Stabler’s new work for SHO and Orchestra in Duisburg. Furthermore her recent orchestra engagements include BBC Symphony Orchestra with Kazushi Ono, Orchestre Symphonique de la Monnaie with Kazushi Ono, NHK Symphony Orchestra with Charles Dutoit for their European tour in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Vienna, Munich and Berlin, New York Philharmonic with André Previn, PMF International Orchestra with PMF International Orchestra, Tanglewood Festival Orchestra with Seiji Ozawa, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra with Vladimir Ashkenazy, Bamberger Symphoniker with Jonathan Nott, Orchestre National de Lyon with Jun Maerkl, Munich Chamber Orchestra with Alexander Liebreich. Highlights of Ms. Miyata’s career include such diverse engagements as her performance of the Japanese National Anthem at the Opening Ceremony of the Nagano Winter Olympic Games and her work with Björk on the soundtrack to Matthew Barney’s film Drawing restraint 9, in which she appears playing her instrument. She was nominated as cultural ambassador by the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs and as such toured Europe giving concerts, workshops and collaborating with local artists and composers, promoting knowledge of the SHO overseas.
Ohta, Maki (Soprano)
She studied at the Vocal Studies Course, Faculty of Liberal Arts, Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Arts and the Song Research Room, Graduate School of Music, Osaka College of Music.After working as a member of Tokyo Philharmonic Chorus, she had a residency in Rome, as a trainee of the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ overseas training program for upcoming artists, to study Giacinto Scelsi’s vocal works under Scelsi’s collaborator Ms. Michiko Hirayama. She is a soprano who focuses on contemporary music, has studied directly from Hirayama. Not only meticulously interpreting scores and drawing musical qualities from difficult compositions, she also has a lot of nerve and elegance to perform extraordinary acts that some scores require such as showing the reverse side of eyeballs, collapsing onto the floor, bursting into laughter, running around among the audience, or accusing the cruel labor environment of a factory. She tackles the whole song for the first time, with the same members as in the 2011 premiere by Hirayama, at the base of experimental music in Tokyo. Please witness the moment of inheritance of the most ambitious composition for solo voice in the 20th century, which must sound contemporary right now.Currently studying German contemporary vocal works under Axel Bauni in Berlin. Her performances have been broadcast at WDR in Germany, CEMAT in Italy and NHK-FM in Japan. She has taken part in such projects as a recital at the Isabella Scelsi Foundation (Rome) that featured the world premiere of Scelsi’s work, Festival Giacinto Scelsi (Basel), Festival di Nuova Consonanza (Rome), Takefu International Music Festival, Izumi Sinfonietta Osaka Regular Concert, Tokyo Opera City’s recital series “B to C.”, and Suntry Summer Festival, Nuit Blanche Kyoto.
Matsumura, Takayo (Harp)
Born in Osaka, Japan, she began playing the piano at the age of 3 and graduated from Soai University (Faculty of Music).After studying at University,she began playing the harp.She is now a free-lance harpist and her activities incorporate solo, chamber ensemble and orchestral performances.She is a member of the violin and the harp duo‘X[iksa]’ with violonist Yasutaka Hemmi,and has performed about 400 times including performances in South Korea,Australia,South Africa and Canada.Along with X[iksa], she is also a member of the harp duo ‘Farfalle’, with sister Eri Matsumura, and has performed in a range of contexts including the Arles International Harp Festival and the NHK-FM Recital. She has released six CDs. She has given numerous first performances, and as an arranger, she has expanded the repertoire of harp music.
Kasai, Tomoko (Percussion)
Kasai Tomoko was born and raised in Hyogo pref. She has received bachelor’s and master’s degree at Osaka College of Music. She is active in orchestras and chamber music and contemporary music. She is participating in the Takefu International Music Festival and a lot of other music festivals, also she teaches at music university and high schools.
Ota,Tomomi (Accordion)
Tomomi Ota started her musical studies with the piano at an early age, then took up the accordion at the age of 10 under Noboru Emori. After graduating from the Senior High School of Kunitachi College of Music in piano, she moved to Germany and studied the accordion under Mie Miki at Hochschule für Musik Detmold Abt. Dortmund (Accordion Education Department) and Folkwang Hochschule Essen (Artists Course). In February 2009, she passed the concerto exam at Folkwang Hochschule Essen with the highest honors. From October 2007, she moved to Vienna and studied at Konservatorium Wien under Grzegorz Stopa. In 2002, she won the third prize at the Third JAA International Accordion Competition (advanced division). Since returning to Japan in the summer of 2009, she has performed widely as a soloist as well as in chamber music and with orchestras. She is also active in collaborating with the composers in creating and premiering new works, as well as perfoming in theatres. Official site: http://www.tomomiota.net
Hananofu Shu-hou (Offering Flowers)
She worked in the Jisho-ji temple (the Silver Pavilion) in Kyoto, as a person in charge of study on flower arrangement and flower offering. After she went independent in 2015, and as an Ikebana Master Hananofu, Shuho continues doing flower, such as offering flowers to Nature, deities and also for divers occasions. She established Seirensha, an association for flower arrangement studies, in order to propose richer life by being with nature. Since 2016, Shuho makes activities in China. Since April 2017, she assumes to the visiting fellow of the Kyoto University of Art and Design. She has been collaborating both within and outside of Japan with worldwide creators, from various fields such as musicians, contemporary artists, applied fine arts masters and architects. Her publications include « Zokajinen, Recreating Nature – Ikebana of the Temple Jisho-ji – » (Tankôsha, 2013)
www.hananofu.jp * Ikebana Master who devotes herself to plants.
Shinohe, Kana (Contrabass)
She graduated from Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Arts the Department of Japanese Language and Literature, Osaka University of Arts the Playing Department. She performs in various fields such as orchestra, chamber music and brass band.She studied contrabass under Shuji Ikeuchi, Kazuo Okuda and Koji Miyake. She is a performance personnel of Soai University, and a member of Ensemble “La Famille” and Brass Paradise Osaka.
Brass Ensamble brilliant
Morishita, Noritoshi (Trumpet) Takimura, Hiroko (Trumpet)
Nagai, Koji (Horn) Takemoto, Yuichi (Trombone)
Yamaguchi, Mariko (Tuba)
Composers / Lecturers
Johannes, Maria Staud (Composer / Austoria)
Bettina, Skrzypczak (Composer / Poland/ Switzerland)
Bettina Skrzypczak studied composition and music theory at the Music Academy in Poznan (Poland), and from 1984 to 1988 attended the composition courses in Kazimierz (inter alia alongside Luigi Nono, Iannis Xenakis, Henri Pousseur, and Vinko Globokar). In 1988 she moved to Switzerland and has lived there ever since. She is professor for composition and music theory at the Lucerne School of Music, and also leads (as a visiting professor) a composition class in Music Academy in Bydgoszcz (Poland). Additionally she gives workshops and lectures in Switzerland, Poland, Germany, and Austria, and publishes essays on questions of æsthetics and contemporary composition. In 1999 she completed her doctorate in composition in Krakow; in 2017 her postdoctoral lecture qualification.Outside of her work in higher education she is also active in pedagogy: in the Swiss Cultural Foundation Künstlerhaus Boswil (Artists’ House Boswil) she led, from 2005 to 2017, the Ensemble Boswil (which she founded) for contemporary music, focused on supporting young and emerging artists; invited conductors included Seitaro Ishikawa in a cultural exchange with Japan. Since 2011 she has been engaged in Boswil as part of the “Young Composers Project”. In 2015 she was artistic director and organizer of the Tage für Neue Musik (New Music Days) Zürich festival. As a composer Bettina Skrzypczak received her first recognition on the international stage at the Music Biennial Zagreb (Croatia) with her prize-winning work for orchestra, “Verba”. Since then she has produced an extensive œuvre for almost every genre. In writing her solo and chamber works she works closely with the performers, including such renowned names as Ilya Gringolts, Felix Renggli, and Eduard Brunner.Composition for orchestra forms the core of her artistic work, and her orchestra scores have been performed by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Southwest Radio Symphony Orchestra, the German Symphony Orchestra of Berlin, the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, and many others. Numerous festivals and concert series have featured her music, such as the Musica Viva München, the Festival Musiques in Marseilles, the Venice Biennial, the Lucerne Festival, the Poznan Musical Spring and the Warsaw Autumn. Website: www.bettina-skrzypczak.com
Diana, Rotaru (Composer / Rumania)
Charles, Kwong (Composer / Hong Kong)
Charles Kwong’s creative output ranges from orchestral and choral music to works written for all types of chambers ensembles and solo performers. Distinguished musicians and groups who have performed his music include Ensemble intercontemporain, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Ensemble Offspring, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Hong Kong New Music Ensemble, London Chamber Orchestra, Eastman Broadband and Kreutzer String Quartet, among others. Kwong’s music has been featured in many prominent festivals across Europe and Asia, such as Festival International de Piano La Roque d’Anthéron, Gezeitenkonzerte in Ostfriesland, Marvão International Music Festival, Ciclo de Música Contemporánea de Oviedo (Festival de Verano), Hong Kong Arts Festival and New Vision Arts Festival in recent years. In 2016, his work Lachrymae was selected by Matthias Pintscher and Ensemble intercontemporain as part of the programme for the ensemble’s Hong Kong début.Born and raised in Hong Kong, Kwong studied music at The Chinese University of Hong Kong and King’s College London, with multiple scholarships from the respective institutes and the Composers and Authors Society Hong Kong. He earned his doctorate, focusing in compositions, in 2013 from The University of York under the supervision of Thomas Simaku as an R C Lee Scholar with full sponsorship from the Drs Richard Charles and Esther Yewpick Lee Charitable Foundation. In recent years, he studied with Toshio Hosokawa in Hong Kong New Music Ensemble’s The Modern Academy 2016, and IRCAM’s ManiFeste Academy 2017, and with Francesco Filidei and Mauro Lanza at International Divertimento Ensemble Academy’s International Workshop for Young Composers 2018.
Chris, Williams (Composer / Australia)
The Philadelphia Inquirer recently called Chris Williams’ music a “a lovely shade of wistful”, while the Daily Review noted his “brilliantly unsettling music” for the Sydney Theatre Company’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at the Sydney Opera House. His music is elemental and monolithic, as ‘elegant in the making as in the made’. Ideas of growth and form, emergence, drift and self-similarity, appropriated from biology, in addition to precepts which have resonance across art-forms, science, and nature like colour, line, shape, pattern and process inform and permeate his music.In 2017 Chris won the composition prize for the Australian International Chopin Competition and was invited to write a new work for Gaudeamus Muziekweek, while his music for the Sydney Theatre Company’s production of ‘Cloud Nine’ was nominated for best original score at the Sydney Theatre awards. Following its success in 2017, Chris has this year been invited to write a new piece for the Gaudeamus festival in 2018.Chris is a graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and completed a Master of Philosophy in composition at the University of Oxford in 2013. In 2012 Chris was commissioned by Carnegie Hall and in 2015 he was the inaugural Friends of the National Library of Australia Creative Arts Fellow.He is an Associate Artist at the Australian Music Centre.
Lina, Tonia (Composer / Greece)
Lina Tonia, is a young award winning composer born in Greece, in 1985. Her work list include more than 100 compositions for orchestra, ensembles, operas and music for theatre that performed in Paris, Vienna, London, New York, Boston, Moscow, Weimar, Berlin, Edinburgh, Zagreb, Sofia, Plovdiv, Tirana, Athens and Thessaloniki.She has been awarded prizes in several national and international composition competitions for her works. Among others, she received the first prize at Jungerson International Composition Competition in Moscow (2007), the Baerenreiter Award at the 12th International Via Nova Composition Competition in Weimar (2010), the title of “New Young Artist of the Year” from the Union of Greek Critics for Music and Theatre in Athens (2008).She awarded from the Greek National Opera in Athens, for her chamber opera “The Expelled” (2012) and also at the same year from the Vienna University and Institute Kunsthaus of Muerz, for her work “Kivos” for 12 violoncellos (2012).Her solo work “Neuma” for viola awarded with the Sempre Piu Edition’s Prize in Paris (2014). Her chamber opera “Fear &(s) the Love” performed and awarded in Music Biennale of Zagreb (2015).Her 5th string quartet “ENNEA” took a premiered by the Arditti Quartet at the Konzerthaus in Mozart Saal in Wien Modern (2015) in Vienna.She has been invited as guest composer and jury member at Piano Campus International Competition and commissioned to write her piano concerto “Les Mondes Flottants” to be performed as a compulsory piece at the final round of piano competition in Cergy Pontoise (2016).Her orchestral piece “Squall” performed in Music Biennale of Zagreb by the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Dian Tchobanov, and performed by pianist: Srebrenka Poljak (2017).Her orchestral piece “Butterfly Effect” recorded by the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Pierre Andre Valade in Paris (2017).She studied composition at the Department of Music in Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (2003 – 2008), with Professor Christos Samaras.She completed a PhD in Composition in Edinburgh University with distinction (2008 – 2012) under the supervision of the professor Nigel Osborne and Michael Edwards, where she was studying with aGreek National Scholarship from Union of Greek Composers (2008 – 2009) and IKY Foundation (2009 – 2011).She studied composition with Michael Jarrell at the Vienna University (2012 – 2013).She worked as a postdoctoral researcher in Music Theory & Composition with a fellowship of the Research Committee of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (2013 – 2014). She participated in many international composition workshops in USA, UK, Germany, France. Recently, selected to participate at Manifeste Academy for young composers at IRCAM with Toshio Hosokawa, in Paris (2017).Some of her works are published by Sconfinarte Editions under a pedagogical goal about contemporary music for young performers. Now, her works are publishing by Donemus Publishing House based in Hague.She is founding member and artistic director of Meet the Art, artistic series of concerts and performances around Modern Art in Thessaloniki (2015 – 2016).She is teaching Composition in Macedonia University, Department of Music Art and Science, in Thessaloniki from September of 2016. She gives lectures and seminars around composition and contemporary music. She is a jury member at ENKOR International Music Competition from 2014. She is a member of Greek Composer’s Union.
Naoki, Sakata (Composer / Japan)
Max, Niffeler (Musicologist / Switzerland)
