Yumi Kurosawa - Koto & Violin
Yumi Kurosawa was born and raised in a traditional Japanese music environment, taking up the Koto from a young age and rising fast to the upper echelons of her craft. Ever since she was a teenager, however, she constantly surrounded herself with contemporary music by Western music composers, integrating their melodies and phrasings into her solo Koto. As her career expanded she carried these interests into ensembles featuring Western musical instruments, especially strings. With this new program, Yumi draws upon her rich history and original compositions that highlight the affinity between these seemingly disparate instruments. The arrangement showcases the differences between the string instruments, one with its percussive and buoyant melodies, and the other with its sustaining grace, while illuminating the unifying power of music that stretches across borders and boundaries. The music is emotional, warm, and exhilarating, a perfect melding of worlds of traditions.
"Thank Your Lucky Stars" composed by Yumi Kurosawa, from Beginning of a Journey
Koto: Yumi Kurosawa
Violin: Saeka Matsuyama
"Beginning of a Journey 1" composed by Yumi Kurosawa, from Beginning of a Journey
Koto: Yumi Kurosawa
Violin: Saeka Matsuyama
Cello: Julia MinJeong Kang