| Notes from Nobuko | ||
MUSIC: A UNIVERSALLY SPOKEN LANGUAGE THAT STIRS THE HEART |
"Playing a musical instrument like Koto will enrich your life just like having bosom buddy," my Mom told me. It was when I was five years old that she started encouraging me to play It was when I was five years old that she started encouraging me to play Koto , a Japanese traditional instrument with strings . I loved Koto so much that I went to my regular Koto lessons even when it was storming outside. That seems like only yesterday. I will also never forget the days that I spent all my spare time studying classical music, or indeed, the enjoyment of working together with various people to compose a new piece and perform in my first concert. My hope is always that I can create a total fusion of traditional music and modern music. This hope has always been cherished in my mind as I traveled and performed overseas at many great musical events held in various countries throughout the world. Some of these experiences include my first visits to some areas by the Tigris River, where they say string instruments originally come from; co-starring with an African karimba-player in a small town in Africa; coming across the Koto family in a major harp concert in Denmark; feeling deeply impressed and losing track of time as I got to know the awe-inspiring musicians from all over the world at a major music festival in Sweden; being so touched by the incredibly beautiful tune coming from the stage of The Vienna Musicians' Association Hall; and right after the war in Croatia , people coming from so far away to listen to my concert, even with tears in their eyes . . . I'm sometimes lost in such memories of so many wonderful meetings with people.
THE WORLD IS ABOUT TO ENTER A NEW PHASE: THE ERA OF MAN 'S HEART AND SPIRIT!
Music goes beyond language in allowing people to connect to each other in heart . I hope that every sort of music handed down from the ages can be shared with all of the music lovers in the world. My greatest dream is that my life's work shall be for the sake of making this kind of beautiful tune ; we go beyond border lines and genres of music as we seek for the different tunes that are alive now , and we connect to the future as we add more color to Mother Earth. |
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Nobuko's Career |
| 1982 | ・ Entered National University of Fine Arts & Music, specializing in Koto | |||
| 1985 | ・ Honored with the At a ka Prize | |||
| 1986 | ・ Performed at a concert held at Toka-gakudo in the Imperial palace | |||
・ Formed KOTO-ZA , the Koto ensemble. |
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| 1987 | ・ Performed at a concert held in the hall of Se i shin Women's College, with |
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| Princess Michiko in attendance | ||||
| 1988 | ・ Graduated from National University of Fine Arts & Music graduate school. | |||
| ・ Accepted position as Koto instructor at Michigan University. | ||||
| 1989 | ・ Co-starred with the NHK ENSEMBLE ORCHESTRA in Hayama | |||
| ・ On a goodwill mission at the request of the Japanese Foreign Ministry, had concert tours in Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and Iraq |
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| ・ Performed Koto for “Taketori Fable,” a narrative story; co-starred with a Kyogen actor, Mansai Nomura, at Shinjuku Mozart Salon |
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| ・ Performed Koto for “Taketori Fable,” a narrative story; co-starred with a Kyogen actor, Mansai Nomura, at Shinjuku Mozart Salon |
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| 1990 | ・ Performed at “Kisetsu-fu”, the first live concert, held in the hall at | |||
| Roppongi Pitt Inn | ||||
| 1991 | ・ Played and conducted at the “Welcome Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev | |||
| Concert,” held by the Japanese Government | ||||
| ・ Performed an ensemble for a play at Aoyama Round Theater. | ||||
| ・ Her CD “ KOTO-ZA” , was released by Victor Records . | ||||
| 1992 | ･ Joined the recital of flutist William Bennet | |||
| ･ Concert with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra | ||||
| ･ Concert with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | ||||
| ・ Co-starred with Mansai Nomura and puppeteer , Hiroshi Hori, at the Kamina-tsuki-yo Concert, for Kawasaki City's 70 th anniversary municipal administration at Kita-in Temple |
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| 1993 | ・ Participated in Music Festivals in Denmark and Sweden, with flutist, Marie Lorenz Okabe, sponsored by the Sasagawa Fund |
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| 1994 | ・ Performed KOTO-ZA for the Washington Cherry Blossom Festival | |||
| ・ Concerts in India, Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi, sponsored by the Japanese Foundation of International Exchange |
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| ・ Made a presentation for the International Women's Association | ||||
| ・ Gave a charity performance for the Amnesty International Charity Concert | ||||
| ・ Appeared on “Tamori's TV Music Show” as a guest on Fuji TV Station, Channel 12 |
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| 1995 | ・ Joined “Arhus Music Festival” in Denmark, held concert in Italy, sponsored by | |||
| the Sasagawa Fund | ||||
| ・ Charity concert for International volunteer Works in Refugee Camp | ||||
| 1996 | ・ Performed with Koto-Kou-Kyo , an ensemble group, including Chinese zither player, Jiang Xiao Qing |
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| ・ Performed solo on the program, “An Afternoon Recital” played on NHK TV. | ||||
| ・ Performed for the Summit Graduates' Reunion in Akasaka, Tokyo | ||||
| ・ Concerts held for the embassies of Denmark, Germany, Italy, Russia, and more | ||||
| ・ Concert in Croatia held after the war; it was their first concert in many years; held in honor of the country's independence, sponsored by the Japan Foundation of International Exchange |
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| 1998 | ・ Concert in Wagner's Memorial Hall in Latvia; joined the Music Fiesta in the city | |||
| of Musik Dakar, in Sweden; Collaboration with Yoko Ono at the Denmark National Museum; sponsored by the Sasagawa Fund |
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| ・ Participated in “Talk and Music Concert” with composer, Junichi Kamiyama, and reviewer, Reiko Yukawa, held by the International Rotary Club |
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| 2000 | ・ Performed at a concert in Vienna: The Society of Friends Of Music | |||
| ・ Performed in the Great Hall of Liszt Music Academy, Hungary, with the Aichi Gakugei University Orchestra |
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| ・ Performed at the IVS International Viola Congress as the first Japanese player; concert tour in Finland, Russia, and Zambia; sponsored by the Japan Foundation of International Exchange |
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| 2001 | ・ CD “KOTO ? Kirameki” released | |||
| ・ Performed at a recital at the Enkakuji Temple | ||||
| ・ Formed “KOTOHIME,” the koto ensemble including a Chinese musician, a Korean musician, and herself, as the Japanese musician |
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| 2002 | ・ Performed in the “Japan & China Friendship Concert” at Nogakudo, Yokohama, | |||
| with flutist, Jiro Murayama, who plays the Japanese Shinobue flute | ||||
| ・ Performed in the “Japan & China Friendship Concert” at Nogakudo, Yokohama, with flutist, Jiro Murayama, who plays the Japanese Shinobue flute |
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| 2003 | ・ Participated in the “Beautiful Life Concert”, co-starring with violinist |
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| Jung Chanwoo | ||||
| ・ Performed in the “Janz Coffee Morning Concert” at the New Zealand Embassy | ||||
| ・ Participated in Cellist Katsuo Shimizu's Memorial Concert with Prince and Princess Akishino-no-miya in attendance |
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| ・ Promoted and performed in the “Miyabi-no-shirabe Concert” in Meguro Gajo-en | ||||
| 2004 | ・ Promoted and performed in the “Sakura Concert” at the Kamakura Engaku-ji | |||
| Temple and the Izu-jingi Shrine | ||||
| ・ Concert tours in the U.S.: Atlanta and Washington DC, sponsored by Japan Abilities Association |
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・ Performed in Roppongi Gotoh flower shop concert |
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| 2005 | ・ Promoted and performed in the “Spring Concert” in Hotel Kawana | |||