Ichiro Seki, Kinya Sogawa, Naoko Kikuchi, Akihito Obama, John Kaizan Neptune, Jean-François Suizan Lagrost, Gunnar Jinmei Linder

The mutual inspiration between the West and the Eastern tradition; the search for one’s own identity, one’s past and future are great themes of Japanese composition. Increasing globalisation and the current stream of events take these themes out of salon debates and restore them to a special seriousness. It is a game of what will be.

This concert offers two important premieres, both works for an unusual ensemble of five shakuhachi. These are from the pen of Dai Fujikura, a world-renowned Japanese composer based in London. The second was written by Ichiro Seki, a successful Tokyo-based composer and shakuhachist exploring the legacy of early European music. Both composers will be present in person at the concert.

Their work will be complemented by the famous Japanese avant-garde composer Maki Ishii with a piece for shakuhachi and 20-string koto, Sō-Gū (Escaped time, Encounter) (1993), and Kikuoka Kengyo, the legendary 19th century composer and father of modern koto music.

Japanese Modern and New Music

 

Entflohene Zeit, Sō-Gū (Escaped time, Encounter) for shakuhachi and koto op. 99, 16’
Comp. Maki Ishii (1993)
Naoko Kikuchi (20 string koto), Kinya Sogawa (shakuhachi)                                                                                                                    Preview: https://youtu.be/jVyKABElk0Q

Czech Premiere

Korokoro, 7’
Comp. Dai Fujikura (2015)
Jean-François Suizan Lagrost (shakuhachi)                                                                                                                                                                              Preview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L0vCj71U7w

Sono no Aki 秋の調, 12’
Comp. Kikuoka Kengyô (19th Century)
Naoko Kikuchi (shamisen), Gunnar Jinmei Linder (shakuhachi)                                                                                                              Czech Premiere

Pentatonic Concerto Ⅱ for 5 shakuhachi players, 15’
Comp. Ichiro Seki (2017)
Kinya Sogawa, Akihito Obama, Ichiro Seki, John Kaizan Neptune, Jean-François Suizan Lagrost (shakuhachi)
European Premiere

—Intermission—

Night and Fog, 10’
Comp. Ichiro Seki (1992)
Ichiro Seki (shakuhachi)

Shakuhachi Five, 8’
Comp. Dai Fujikura (2020)
Kinya Sogawa, Akihito Obama, Ichiro Seki, John Kaizan Neptune, Jean-François Suizan Lagrost (shakuhachi)
comment.: co-commissioned by NEIRO
European Premiere
Preview: https://youtu.be/BECDO5IioSA