Dates and Venues PerformersToRi is a Japanese music ensemble, established in 2013 to promote Kakyoku and other Japanese music to the world, originally formed by a group of Japanese musicians in Austria. The ensemble is active internationally and had performed in Japan, Austria and Germany, including the appearance at the Peace Memorial Ceremony in Berlin.
Kakyoku is a Japanese song in western style music. The history of Kakyoku started about 100 years ago, when European music was introduced to Japan. Composers found it challenging to fit Japanese lyrics to the Western style of music. Specially, the traditional Japanese poem, called ‘Haiku’ or ‘Waka’, is composed of ‘awkward’ phrases with 5 and 7 syllables. Composers shaped the melody and rhythms to fit in the intonations of Japanese Language, which lead to the originality of Japanese vocal works, Kakyoku.
Programme includes:
Akatombo (Red Dragonfly), Machibouke(Waiting in Vain), Karatachi no Hana(Karatachi Flower) by Kosaku Yamada
Sakura Yokocho(Alley of Cherry Blossom), Tampopo(Dandelion), TankiPonki(Pond Snail) by Yoshinao Nakada
Sohmon III for Soprano, Marimba and Piano by Minoru Miki: a work based on Haikus from Man-yo-shu, one of the oldest Japanese literature with the taste of Japanese Noh music.
Bold Spark by Jonathan Crehan: a prize-winning piece by a New Zealand composer. (New Zealand premier)
Some European Classical lieder, Piazzolla and more.
Wellington
07 August (Fri)
7:00pm
Adam Concert Room
New Zealand School of Music
Full:$20 Student:$10
(incl. booking fee, Door sales extra)
New Plymouth
10 August (Mon)
7:00pm
St. Andrew’s Church
Liardet Street
Full:$20 Student:$10
(incl. booking fee, Door sales extra)
Hamilton
12 August (Wed)
1:00pm
Dr John Gallagher
Concert Chamber
The University of Waikato
Tauranga
16 August (Sun)
2:30pm
St. Peter’s Anglican Church
Mt. Maunganui
PerformersJuri Hasegawa (Soprano)
The Soprano Juri Hasegawa was born in Toyama (Japan). Her first contact with music was playing the piano at the age of 5.
In 2007, she completed her Degree in Music Education at the Kyoto-Women’s University where she had her voice lessons with Nami Gahabka.
In 2009 Juri started her Bachelor’s degree major in ‘solo voice’ at the Konservatorium Wien Privatuniversität with Manfred Equiluz.
In 2013 she has completed the degree and continued to study her Master’s degree. Since 2014, she doubles the major with ‘Lied and Oratorium’ with Brigit Steinberger.
She has done a number of master classes, including with Olga Valle Colo.
Juri has performed in numerous operas, such as The Magic Flute / W.A. Mozart, Suor Angelica / G. Puccini and Dialogues of the Carmelites / F. Poulenc. Also she sung in various concerts both in Japan and in Austria including appearances as a soloist with the NordwaldKammerorchester (Upper Austria)
Juri is a member of the Opera organisation ‘Ohpera!’ in Vienna, with whom she participated in productions of The Marriage of Figaro (Barbarina) and The Magic Flute by W.A. Mozart.
In 2014, she was the finalist of the ‘3rd International Schubert Competition’ in Steyr (Austria).
In July 2015, Juri will appear in Verdi’s opera ‘Don Carlo’ with the Oper Burg Gars, directed by Johaness Wilder in Austria.
Yoko Takahashi (Piano)
Tokyo born Yoko Takahashi started learning piano and composition at the age of 3 in the Yamaha Institute.
After graduating at the Musashino Music University, she moved to Europe and completed her post graduate degree on solo piano, as well as vocal accompaniment and chamber music at the University of Vienna. She then relocated to Linz in 2008 and completed Masters Degrees on solo piano and chamber music at the Anton Bruckner Privatunivasität.
While studying in Linz, she began studying harpsichord under Jörg Halubek and became active in Baroque music as well. She performs harpsichord in a variety of Baroque settings, such as opera, voice recitals and in ensembles.
Currently Yoko works at the Anton Bruckner Privatunivasität as an accompanist of the Vocal Music Department.
She has won several prizes including: JOC Composition Competition, Saitama Piano Competition, Japan Classical Music Competition, 1st Prize: Institute Competition and Best Accompaniment prize: Upper Austria Franz Schubert Vocal Competition.
As a repetiteur, Yoko has participated in a number of operas, including
‘The diary of Anne Frank’ by Frid, (Performed in Austria in 2011),
‘Bluthochzeit’ (Blood Wedding) by Fortner (Performed in Germany/ France in 2012)
‘Hansel and Gretel’ by Humperdinck (Performed in Germany in 2013)
Baroque Opera: ‘Orfeo ed Euridice’ conducted by Michi Gaigg at (Theatre An Der Rott Germany in 2013)
