ENSEMBLE N_JP


Takeshi SASAMOTO, Aya MOTOHASHI, Rei HOTODA, Ko ISHIKAWA

Sasamoto Takeshi

Sasamoto Takeshi was born in Hitachi City, Japan in 1966. He was raised in the family of the headmaster of the "Chikuinsha" (Kinko School of Shakuhachi flute). He graduated from Tokyo Ationaru University of Fine Arts and Music with a Master of Arts degree. He studied the "Ryuteki" (traverse bamboo flute) and Gagaku performance with Sukeyasu Shiba. Active as a composer, with CDs and published musical works. He has participated as a composer in the Japan Festival (Great Britain 1991) and as a Gagaku musician in Luxembourg (1995), Olympic Winter Games (Nagano 1998) and many others. Currently he is a member of the Gagaku ensemble "Reigakusha" and the Kinko school of Shakuhachi. He first worked with Gene Coleman in Tokyo in June of 2002.

Aya Motohashi was born in 1967 in Yokohama, Japan.
She graduated from Kunitachi College of Music with a degree in Musicology.
In 1987 she started to study Gagaku music theory and ensemble practice under
Sukeyasu Shiba and "Hichiriki" (double reed bamboo wind instrument) under Hiroshi Togi. Since 1992 she has appeared at the National Theater of Japan and in national and international music festivals as a member of the Tokyo based Gagaku ensemble "Reigakusha". These tours included concerts of both traditional and new music for Gagaku ensemble. 1996 tour (Seattle, Boston, New York), 1998 tour (Glasgow, Birmingham, London, Cambridge), 1999 tour (Germany, Spain, Portugal), 2000 tour (Cologne and Berlin), 2002 tour (Innsbruck and Bolzano). Aya Motohashi first worked with Otomo Yoshihide and Gene Coleman in Tokyo in June 2001, playing in new works by both composers.

Rei Hotoda

Rei Hotoda was born in Tokyo and grew up in Chicago, Illinois. Her musical studies in piano began at the age of three with her mother. She received her Bachelors degree from the Eastman School of Music and her doctorate in piano performance under John Perry at the University of Southern California. Other teachers and mentors include Emilio Del Rosario, Barry Synder, Paul Schenly, Menahem Pressler and Richard Goode.

One of America's most versatile and dynamic concert artists, Rei Hotoda is busy as a conductor, solo pianist, orchestral soloist and chamber musician.

Ms. Hotoda has appeared as a pianist and conductor in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Portland, New Orleans, Palm Springs and other US cities. Her work as conductor with the innovative Chicago new music group Ensemble Noamnesia has included US and world premieres of works by composers including Salvatore Sciarrino, Luc Ferrari, Gene Coleman and others. She is also the principle conductor for Ensemble N_JP -- a group of traditional and experimental Japanese musicians. She conducted the New Symphony Orchestra in Sofia, Bulgaria and recently in Prague with the Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra. In workshops she conducted a number of prestigious American orchestras including the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the Concordia Orchestra in New York City, the Seattle Youth Symphony and the members of the Chicago Symphony Chorus. She received a scholarship/recognition award from the Women's Philharmonic of San Francisco and a grant from the Governors International Arts Exchange Program of the Illinois Arts Council for concerts and a workshop in Eastern Europe. Currently she is working with conductor and teacher Gustav Meier at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Maryland.

Ko Ishikawa

Ko Ishikawa is a professional "Sho" (Japanese bamboo mouth organ) player and is a member of the Gagaku ensemble "Reigakusha". He was born in Tokyo in 1963 and studied Sho and Gagaku music with masters Mayumi Miyata, Hideaki Bunno and Sukeyasu Shiba. He became a member of Reigakusha in 1987. He has made numerous appearances as a member of Reigakusha and as a soloist in Europe, performing in major festivals. His performances of both classic and new music for Sho have been highly regarded in Vienna, London, Paris, Tokyo, Frankfurt and Berlin. Ko Ishikawa has worked frequently with Otomo Yoshihide in the group "Cathode" and he has played and recorded with Gene Coleman in Japan and Europe in 2001, 2002 ,2003 and 2004.

October 26th, 8:00 PM

The Renaissance Society presents:

US premiere of:
"YAGO (insects and architecture #1)"
by Gene Coleman

performed by:
Ensemble N_JP and XASAX Quartet
directed by Rei Hotoda

This composition includes saxophone quartet, gagaku ensemble,
live electronics and video. The video was created in collaboration
by Chicago artist Tom Denlinger and Gene Coleman. The concert
will also feature music by Iannis Xenakis and traditional Gagaku
music.

Ensemble N_JP (Japan/USA):

Ko ISHIKAWA (sho = bamboo mouth organ)
Aya MOTOHASHI (hichiriki = bamboo oboe)
Takeshi SASAMOTO (ryuteki = bamboo flute)
Kazuhisa UCHIHASHI (guitar and daxophone)
Toshimaru NAKAMURA (no input mixing board = live electronics)
Gene COLEMAN (sound projection)
Tom DENLINGER (video projection and lighting)
Rei HOTODA (conductor)

XASAX Quartet (France/Switzerland)

Marcus WEISS (soprano sax)
Pierre-Stephane MEUGE (alto sax)
Jean-Michel GOURY (tenor sax)
Serge BERTOCCHI (baritone sax)

This project is part of the Sound Field 2004 festival and is made possible by the following sponsors:

The Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago
The Shin Higuchi Institute
Soundfield, NFP
The French Cultural Services, Chicago Office
The New Chicago Japanese American Association
The John David Mooney Foundation Gallery
The llinois Arts Council (a state agency)
Mrs. Akiko Sugano
The American Music Center
Lake Forest College

Rockefeller Chapel at the University of Chicago
(Please call the Renaissance Society for info)
(free concert)