Event Information

Japanese mezzo-soprano Akiko Enomoto celebrates some of the most sensuous and melodic music being written in the 21 st century, when she sings songs from the pens of five composers - three English and two Japanese – at the Cadogan Hall, Sloane Terrace, Chelsea, on March 10.

The event is designed as a rare opportunity to bring together two cultures in one concert, to share a common delight in the solo voice and to further mutual understanding and artistic collaboration.

The songs Akiko has chosen have a wide range of cultural and stylistic influences, but all have the common quality of melodic and harmonic simplicity and sensuality, confounding the misconception that all contemporary music is “difficult” to understand and dissonant to the ear.

“It is a privilege to sing the songs of these living composers,” says Akiko. “There are many famous and wonderful tunes from the last centuries, but we are at the beginning of a new one now and it's nice to be able to show that so much melodic music is being written in this, the twenty-first century. It’s nicer still for me to be able to give it such a prestigious platform. ”

The singer has chosen works by composers who have developed strong reputations for inspired melodies and evocative harmonies. David Matthews, Dominic Sewell and Christopher Wood are the three English composers featured; while Jun Fukamachi and Tsuneyoshi Saito add the Japanese contribution.

Akiko will be accompanied by the award-winning English pianist Annabel Thwaite.

Performers

Akiko Enomoto is an award-winning mezzo soprano, established as an opera and oratorio singer and recitalist in both Europe and Japan . She graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Tokyo , and won the Tomita Private Foundation Scholarship to study in the UK with Richard Gregson, Nina Walker and Dennis Knight from the Royal Opera House. Originally a soprano, Akiko retrained as a mezzo and went on to perform extensively in the UK and Europe , winning the IBLA Grand Prize - a Distinguished Musician Award - at the Bellini International Voice Competition in 2003. Akiko now works regularly in Western Europe and Japan as an opera and oratorio singer and as a recitalist. Her concert works include English, French, Italian, German and Spanish songs. Her most recent operatic role was as Suzuki in an Italian production of Madama Butterfly which toured Europe to mark the centenary of the opera. Akiko is dedicated to premiering new English songs and also contributes to business and networking societies amongst Japanese communities in London . www.akiko.org.uk

Pianist Annabel Thwaite has performed in various countries around the world including South Africa , Canada , Sweden , Italy , France and England . As an accompanist she has performed at the Barbican, Wigmore Hall, St. John’s Smith Square and Snape Maltings, Aldeburgh. She is the official accompanist to the London Welsh Male Voice Choir. Annabel was awarded the Sir Henry Richardson Prize for accompanists two years running and won the 2004 Piano Prize at the prestigious Kathleen Ferrier Competition. She most recently won the Gold Medal Prize at the Barbican Hall and the Piano Prize at the Richard Tauber competition at the Wigmore Hall.

Featured composers

David Matthews has had his orchestral, chamber, choral, vocal and piano music performed throughout the world. David wrote his first composition at the age of 16. He initially studied classics at Nottingham University , but then opted to study composition privately with Anthony Milner and received advice and encouragement from Nicholas Maw. As a scholar, he worked with his brother, Colin Matthews and Deryck Cooke on a revised performing version of Mahler’s Symphony No.10. He also worked as an assistant to Benjamin Britten at Aldeburgh in the 1960s. As a writer, he has written books on Michael Tippett and Benjamin Britten. Recent commissions include ones from the BBC, the Brindisi String Quartet, the Brodski Quartet, the Cheltenham International Festival of Music, the Nash Ensemble, the Presteigne Festival, the Schubert Ensemble and the Tetbury Music Festival.

Dominic Sewell composes for the concert hall, small screen, and theatre as well as writing music commercially for radio and television. Dominic is a string chamber music coach at Trinity College of Music and he teaches composition at Godalming College . Alongside his teaching and composition work he has wide-ranging performing interests, including playing guitar and singing with a leading UK function band and working as a freelance violinist, including session work for TV, theatre and film. He also is a music critic and reviewer.

Christopher Wood has attracted growing attention for his work with the London Mozart Players and other leading London ensembles. The London Mozart Players commissioned a number of works, including Requiemfor the Twentieth Century, premiered at Fairfield Halls, as part of the orchestra’s 10 th anniversary celebrations. The Lambeth Orchestra and Croydon Philharmonic Choir have premiered commissions and the London-based Fine Arts Sinfonia has premiered more than half a dozen of Christopher’s chamber works over the last ten years.

Jun Fukamachi is a composer, arranger and pianist and one of Japan ’s pioneer synthesizer players. Since his debut in 1971 his original and unique sense of music, as well as his outstanding performance technique, has helped him play a major role in the Japanese music scene. He not only produces his own albums, but he also participates in music production for television programmes, theatre, movies and TV commercials. In the late 70s he played with New York based studio musicians such as Steve Gadd (ds), the Brecker Brothers and Mike Mainieri (vibes). After producing a number of original albums he released the well-known album On The Move. He invited these musicians to Japan and they gave a number of live performances together. His album Jun Fukamachi and the New York All Stars/Live was re-released in 2002 and is still recognized as a landmark in contemporary, creative music. Recent live performances have been mainly based on piano improvisation. He also continues to explore the possibilities of creating music of true Japanese origin for a world audience.

Tsuneyoshi Saito is one of the most popular composers in Japan . The Shizuoka-born musician learned to play the classical piano at the age of seven and started to compose music when he was nine. He was a keyboardist with Kryzler & Kompany, which he established along with one of Japan ’s top violinists, Taro Hakase. Saito’s collaboration with Celine Dion and David Foster, To Love You More became one of the biggest hit songs in the world. Saito continues to produce songs, not only for Japanese pop singers like Misato Watanabe or Keizo Nakanishi, but also for TV, commercials, films and s tage nationally and internationally. www.spacecraft.co.jp/saito/

Administration/Production

There is experienced administrative and artistic support for this event. Akiko Yanagisawa has produced a number of events, introducing Japanese music to the world. The above-mentioned Christopher Wood also has his own Press and PR company, Newtown Communications, whichfocuses on promoting music and the arts in the UK ; while Sabro Takahashi from Navix Europe, who has organised many Japanese cultural events in the UK , is involved in administration, PR and marketing. Yoshiki Ban is a wax artist. He established Van Candle Studio in 1996. His artistic wax creations are sold by galleries and interior design stores in Italy , America , Japan , and the United Kingdom , including Hayward Gallery, Chochosan, London .

Contacts

Sponsorship/administration/production :
Akiko Yanagisawa (akiko5@btinternet.com)

Marketing/administration/finance :
Sabro Takahashi (st@navix.co.uk)

Press/publicity :
Christopher Wood, Newtown Communications (edit@newtowncom.com)