The Reona Ito Chamber Orchestra & Chorus - eurasia.jp · Reona Ito Choral Concert Series (RICCS) Presents Wonderful Classical Music Concert Performed by The Reona Ito Chamber Orchestra

Reona Ito Choral Concert Series (RICCS) Presents Wonderful Classical Music Concert Performed by

The Reona Ito Chamber Orchestra & Chorus

Japanese American Association of New York Chorus

Saturday Afternoon, October 24th, 2009 at 4:00PM Broadway Presbyterian Church

601West 114th Street (on Broadway), New York City

Admission Free (Welcome Your Donation)

Sponsored By

Eurasia Culture Exchange Support Center (www.eurasia.jp)

Japanese Intercultural Network Mr. & Mrs. Ikkan and Machiko Sanada

Supported by

Consulate General of Japan in New York Japanese American Association of New York

Shukan NY Seikatsu

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The Reona Ito Chamber Orchestra & Chorus Japanese American Association of New York Chorus

Reona Ito, Music Director and Conductor

Miss Akiko Ono, Violinist

Mr. Maxim Anikushin, Pianist

Miss Sachie Ueshima, Soprano

Mr. Micah Killion, Trumpet

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< Program >

Edvard Grieg Prelude from “Holberg Suite”, Op. 40

Felix Mendelssohn

Violin Concerto in D minor I. Allegro molto

II. Andante – attacca: III. Allegro

“Giunse alfin il momento – Deh vieni non tardar” Miss Akiko Ono, Violin Solo

Antonin Dvorak (arr. Kreisler)

"Slavonic Dance" in E minor Op. 72-2

Geroge Bizet (arr. Hubay) "Carmen Fantasy"

Miss Akiko Ono, Violin Solo / Maxim Anikushin, Piano

< Intermission (10 minutes) >

Antonio Vivaldi Gloria in excelsis deo from “Gloria”, RV.589

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Laudate Dominum from “Vesperae Solennes de Confessore”, K.339 Alleluja from “Exsultate, Jubilate”, K.165

George Frederic Handel

Ombra mai fu (Handel’s Largo) with sacred words in Japanese

Joseph Haydn The Heavens are telling the Glory of God from “Creation” (Japanese translation)

Miss Sachie Ueshima, Soprano Solo

Vladimir Zak (1929 ~ 2007, Soviet Union - USA) “My Shostakovich” from Piano Suites

Pre-Performance Talk will be given by Mr. Alexander Zak, composer’s son.

Dmitri Shostakovich Piano Concerto No. 1 in C minor, Op. 35

I. Allegretto II. Lento

III. Moderato IV. Allegro con brio

Mr. Maxim Anikushin, Piano Solo / Mr. Micah Killion, Trumpet

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Meet the Artists Reona Ito, Music Director & Conductor 伊藤 玲阿奈 指揮者 Mr. Reona Ito was born in Fukuoka, Japan. He

holds a Bachelor of Arts in international affairs and

in music at the George Washington University. Afte

r composition and conducting study at the Juilliard

School, he received a diploma in orchestra

conducting from Mannes College of Music and a

Master of Arts in orchestral conducting from the

Aaron Copland School of Music, Queens College, CUNY.

Mr. Ito was born into a musical family of three generations of conductors. He was taught

violin and piano at the age of four, and composed music at the age of nine. Mr. Ito's broad

career includes being a pop-singer and lyric writer. He released a CD of his songs in 2001

from Loft Music Label (Japan).

He is presently the Music Director of the Reona Ito Chamber Orchestra & Chorus and the

Japanese American Association of New York Chorus. He is also the Associate Music Director

of the Chikuho Youth Orchestra (Japan) established by his grandfather. He has been invited

as a guest conductor in several places including the New Symphony Orchestra at Sophia,

Bulgaria.

On March 18th, 2008, Mr. Ito made a debut as an opera conductor with W. A. Mozart's "The

Marriage of Figaro" at the Goldstein Theatre, and also made a Carnegie debut on June 25th in

the same year. These concerts were reviewed by several newspapers and magazines. Among

them, Ongaku no Tomo ("Musician's Friend"), one of the most famous and authentic music

journals in Japan, says; "[In the Reona Ito's Carnegie concert] he conducted all from memory,

and showed the audience his sincerity toward music”. In December, Mr. Ito produced the

“Mostly Bach Concert Series” in Manhattan, and gave three Bach concerts with his ensemble

at Lincoln Center and Yamaha Hall. In March 2009, he invited his mother’s orchestra from

Japan into New York, and held a joint concert with them at Symphony Space. An excerpt of

the concert was broadcasted in Japan by NHK, the second largest public broadcasting

company in the world. Now Mr. Ito is conducting a new project; Reona Ito Choral Concert

Series (www.nyriccs.com), and attempting to cultivate amateur music lovers through letting

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them join his choral and orchestral concerts. The concert series will produce a Mozart’s

Coronation Mass concert and Beethoven’s Ninth Concert soon.

Akiko Ono – Violinist 小野 明子 バイオリン Akiko Ono launched her successful career after winning

numerous prizes in prestigious competitions such as the Yehudi

Menuhin, the Queen Elisabeth, the Szigeti, the Paganini, Viotti-

Valsesia and the Forval-Scholarship Stradivarius Competition.

Since then she has performed throughout Europe, the Middle

East, Central America and Japan with major orchestras

including the Belgian National Orchestra, Weimar Staatskapelle, Lille National Orchestra, the

London Mozart Players, Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo

Symphony Orchestra, New Japan Philharmonic, Polish Radio Amadeus Chamber Orchestra

and Costa Rica National Symphony Orchestra with conductors such as Yehudi Menuhin,

Shlomo Mintz, Saulus Sondeckis, Hans Drewanz, George Alexander Albrecht, Matthias

Bamert, James Judd, Tatsuya Shimono, Taijiro Iimori, Chosei Komatsu, Joji Hattori, Gilbert

Varga, Agnieszka Duczmal and Christian Arming.

Akiko made her debut with Yehudi Menuhin and the Essen Philharmonic Orchestra at the

UNCEF Gala Concert in Germany in 1998. Other highlights of her career include a

performance alongside Anne-Sophie Mutter and Mstislav Rostropovich at Lord Menuhin’s

80th Birthday Gala Concert at the Royal Albert Hall in 1996, an invitation by Vanessa

Redgrave to perform at the UN Headquarters in New York to celebrate the 50th Anniversary

of the “ Universal Declaration of Human Rights” in 1998, a performance at the “ Japan

Festival 2001” at the Windsor Castle and at the “Asian Gala” at the Buckingham Palace in the

UK.

In recent seasons Akiko made appearances with the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Yomiuri

Nippon Symphony Orchestra, Osaka Symphony Orchestra, a debut at the Carnegie Hall and

Wigmore Hall in London, and a tour with Midori Goto on her community engagement project

in Vietnam.

In 2008 Akiko released her first CD with a renowned composer- pianist Ichiro Nodaiira,

which has been reviewed highly. Alongside her work as a soloist, Akiko sets great value on

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outreach activities such as for the Red Cross and UNICEF, and is one of the appointed artists

of the Japan Foundation for Regional Art-Activities since 2006.

Born in Tokyo, Akiko moved to UK when she was 12 where she studied at the Yehudi

Menuhin School and later with Dora Schwarzberg and Michael Frischenschlager at the

University of Music and performing Arts in Vienna. She has performed throughout Europe,

the Middle East, USA, Central America, Vietnam and Japan.

Currently Akiko teaches at the Yehudi Menuhin School in the UK.

She plays on a violin by J.B.Guadagnini made in 1772 loaned by an anonymous supporter.

http://www.aspen.jp/english/artist/jp/akiko_ono.html （英語）

http://www.aspen.jp/artist/jp/akiko_ono.html （日本語）

Maxim Anikushin, Pianist “Maxim Anikushin is undoubtedly destined to enter the

annals of his generation’s important young pianists” wrote

Harris Goldsmith of the New York Concert Review after

Maxim’s highly successful New York Recital Debut on May

9, 1999 at Weill Hall of Carnegie Hall. Since this memorable

event Mr. Anikushin has graced the stages of Merkin Recital

Hall, Steinway Hall, the Bruno Walter Auditorium at the

Performing Arts Library at Lincoln Center, the City

University of New York and at the Yamaha Corporation, to name but a few.

After winning the Concerto Competition at Manhattan School of Music in 2006, culminating

in the performance of Barber Piano Concerto, the conductor of the performance, Maestro

JoAnn Falletta called Maxim a "big talent" with "fabulous technique." Ms Falletta

subsequently invited Mr. Anikushin to perform Shostakovich Concerto No. 1 with the Buffalo

Philharmonic Orchestra for their 07/08 season. About the performance Buffalo News Critic

Emeritus Herman Trotter wrote: "Anikushin's firm, clean touch and lyrical freedom were ideal

in articulating Shostakovich's quirky melodic lines and unexpected turns."

Mr. Anikushin has won top prizes in many prestigious competitions, including Long Island’s

“Five Towns Competition,” Senigallia Piano Competition in Italy, Prokofiev Competition in

St. Petersburg, Russia, Vincenzo Bellini Competition in Caltanissetta, Sicily, Italy and Carlet

International Competition in Spain.

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Mr. Anikushin's highly praised recording Saison Russe, released on the Bel Air label in 2001,

includes Shostakovich Piano Concerto #1, Prokofiev Concerto #3 and Stravinsky's Petrouchka

with Dmitry Yablonsky conducting the Russian State Orchestra. In the wake of the September

11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, Mr. Anikushin gave a solo recital to benefit the

WTC Disaster Relief Fund of the Red Cross. Afterwards, the great musicologist, writer and

composer Vladimir Zak (1939-2007) published an article entitled "The Music of Compassion"

in which he discussed the concert and Maxim's prodigious artistry.

Mr. Anikushin has studied with Y.I. Batuyev, Milton Salkind, Oxana Yablonskaya and

Solomon Mikowsky. He holds Bachelor and Master’s degrees from The Juilliard School and

Doctorate degree from Manhattan School. He is managed by Beverly Wright and Associated,

Co..

Maxim comes from a family of mainly artists and linguists. His Grandmother Sonya

Yankovskaya is an outstanding painter. You can find information about her at

www.sonyapainter.com Her father Anatoly Khasin studied painting with Marc Chagall's

teacher Yehudi Pen in Vitebsk, Belorussia and was an actor in Jewish Theatres in Moscow,

Russia and Kiev, Ukraine. Her brother Lazar Khasin was also a painter but perished during

WWII in Europe. Sonya’s nephew Anna Cole is also a painter. Maxim’s father’s uncle

Michail Anikushin was a sculptor in St. Petersburg, Russia, well-known for his Pushkin

statue in front of the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg as well as for his Checkhov Statue in

Moscow among numerous others. You can find information on him at www.anikushin.com

Maxim’s Grandfather George Yankovsky was American and a descendant of Pilgrims.

George was a translator and lexicographer. Maxim’s Aunt and her daughter are translators

and interpreters.

Maxim’s is the only musician in the family and his mother is the only athlete. She was a

figure-skater and aerobics teacher in Russia.

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Sachie Ueshima, Soprano 上島 幸恵 ソプラノ Sachie Ueshima is a native of Wakayama City, Japan. She is

currently pursuing her master’s degree in classical vocal

performance at Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens

College with Dr. Sherry Overholt. Ms. Ueshima made her first

operatic appearance in Henry Percell’s Dido and Aeneas as a

role of Spirit in 2006 at LeFrak Concert Hall. She has

performed Barbarina in a full-staged opera production of

Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro in March 2008 at Goldstein

Theatre. Ms. Ueshima is also specialized in Japanese art songs. She has given Japanese art

song recitals three times in New York City. She recently performed in Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo

as a role of Euridice. Her former principal teachers are Ms. Atsuko Tsutsumi and Ms. Siri

Howard.

Micah Killion, Trumpet Micah Killion has performed, toured, or recorded with the

New Jersey Symphony, Charleston Symphony, Colorado

Symphony, Princeton Symphony, Riverside Orchestra,

Spoleto (Italy) Festival Orchestra, City Music Cleveland, the

Juilliard Orchestra, The Knights Chamber Orchestra, The

Boston Microtonal Society, Artemis Chamber Ensemble,

Strathmere Ensemble, The American Sinfonietta, Metro Brass,

The American Russian Young Artists Orchestra, Wholly

Brass, Philharmonia Virtuosi, John Medeski, Shakira, Diana

Ross, Guster, Maria Schneider, The Awakening Orchestra, Daniel Bernard Roumain, Rob

Mosher's Storytime, Butch Morris, Steve Swell's Nations of We, Chris Demeglio, Stephanie

Nilles, Tall Tall Trees, Mike Espar, and Pink Baby Monster.

Micah holds a BM in Trumpet Performance from the Juilliard School, and an MA in Music

Education from Teachers College at Columbia University. His primary teachers have been

Joel Dunphy, Dr. Joyce Davis, Philip Smith, Mark Gould, and Laurie Frink.

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真の実力派ヴァイオリニスト小野明子

満を持しての CD デビュー !! 野平一郎氏と奏でる珠玉の小品集

♪当日サイン会あります。♪

小野明子＆野平一郎 〜チゴイネルワイゼン〜

ナミレコード(WWCC7595)

P.サラサーテ：チゴイネルワイゼン Op.20

G.ビゼー/J.フバイ編：カルメン幻想曲

R.シュトラウス/ V.プシホダ編：

「ばらの騎士」よりワルツ

A.ハチャトゥリアン/J.ハイフェッツ編：

「剣の舞」 ほか

思わずほほ緩む選曲、そして情趣あふれる演奏。

摩訶不思議な郷愁に誘われ、妙技に心躍らせるひとときだ。

中欧の情趣を会得した才媛ヴァイオリニストと、管弦のソリストとの

「饗宴」もお任せあれの実力派ピアニストによる香しい対話。

愛すべき楽の音が舞う。美しく、烈しく。

音楽評論家：奥田佳道

【プロフィール】

12 歳でイギリスのメニューイン音楽院に留学、メニューインに 7 年間師事する。その

後、ウィーン国立音大、同大学院で研鑽を積み、2000 年「メニューイン国際ヴァイオリ

ン・コンクール・シニア部門」、2002 年「ヴィオッティ・バルセシア国際音楽コンクー

ル」、2003 年「フォーバルスカラシップ・ストラディヴァリウス・コンクール」で優勝

したほか、「エリザベート王妃国際コンクール」「パガニーニ国際コンクール」「シゲ

ティ国際コンクール」など、多くのコンクールで入賞、注目を集めた。1996 年以降メニ

ューインやロストロポーヴィチ、アンネ・ゾフィー・ムターと共演するほか、ワイマー

ル交響楽団、ベルギー国立管弦楽団、フランスのリール国立交響楽団、コスタリカ交響

楽団、ロンドン・モーツァルト・プレイヤーズなどと共演し、これまで世界 26 カ国で

演奏する。国内でもＮＨＫ交響楽団、東京交響楽団、新日本フィル、大阪交響楽団、東

京シティフィル等数多くのオーケストラと共演、更なる活動が期待される。 現在、イギリス・メニューイン音楽院教授。使用楽器：1772 年製 G.B．ガダニーニ

www.aspen.jp/artist/jp/akiko_ono.html

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Vladimir Zak (1929, Moscow, USSR – 2007, New York, USA).

Outstanding musicologist, composer, writer,

educator, public figure. Author of many books

and numerous articles on classical and

contemporary music. His works have been

published in Russia, Great Britain, USA,

Germany, Italy, Finland, Sweden, Israel, India,

Chechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, Australia.

Vladimir Zak’s original theory of music analysis,

titled “The Line of Latent Mode (LLM)” is one of

the most significant achievements in the music science of the XXth century.

V.Zak is also the author of music to a number of plays and TV shows, as well as

vocal and instrumental compositions. Aside from his professional qualities,

V.Zak was an extremely kind and warm human being – something that all

people, fortunate enough to meet him, always attest to.

“My Shostakovich”

The piano piece titled “My Shostakovich” was composed by V.Zak in New

York City, at the time he was writing the book “Shostakovich and the Jews?”

(Kiev Publishing House, New York, 1997). Why is the book titled “Shostakovich

and the Jews?”? And what does the greatest Russian Composer of the XXth

Century, - Dmitry Shostakovich (the author of 15 symphonies, 3 operas, 5

ballets, 15 quartets, 6 concertos and various other music, whose name stands

with Haydn, Mozart, Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky, Mahler), have to do with the

Jews? The essential point here, in the words of V.Zak, is the “astounding

semblance of the Jewish spirit to Shostakovich’s “spirit” in the perception of

the tragic”… 1 The tragic is inherent in the turbulent history of the Jews in

Russia, and later, USSR, where they were systematically persecuted.

Shostakovich himself was also a hostage of the totalitarian Soviet system and,

perhaps, that is why he keenly felt and understood the Jewish mentality.

Interestingly enough, that even in one of Shostakovich’s early compositions, -

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Piano Concerto No.1 (1933), the music of which is full of sparkling wit and

playfulness, we can clearly hear some sadness.

Vladimir Zak’s musical piece “My Shostakovich” was printed in that same book

(“Shostakovich and the Jews?”). In the words of the author himself: “… In my

piece, the intonational symbols of Dmitry Shostakovich’s music are, as though,

intertwined, - there are some of his themes from chamber music compositions,

- rather, better to say, – these are reminders of those themes… …I mean: the

starting measures of the “Jewish Dance” from the Piano Trio, the monogram

theme in its five-note variant from the Eighth (“Autobiographical”) Quartet

(DDSCH２), and, of course, some motifs ”From the Jewish Folk Poetry”… ”

V.Zak’s piece “My Shostakovich” has been arranged for the string orchestra in

2007 by maestro Maxim Anikushin.

Notes by: Alexander Zak

1 Vladimir Zak. “Shostakovich and the Jews?”, p. 19.

２ DDSCH is an abbreviation which stands for Shostakovich’ full name initials (from Dmitri Dmitrijewitsch Schostakowitsch), encoded in the German key signature alphabetic system notation, which has been used in Russia. The “S” initial transliterates into “Es”,

which is “E-flat”):

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The Reona Ito Chamber Orchestra & Chorus Japanese American Association of New York Chorus

Music Director

Reona Ito

Orchestra Chorus

*The RICO Chorus

Violin I Mitsuko Suzuki, concertmaster Shu Shioda Rieko Kawabata Ran Tao Violin II Shushi Hori, principal Jennifer Ahn Bruno Pena Kimmy Szeto Soprano Sachie Ueshima Eiko Aono Tsutsumi Asada Tatsue Cohen Keiko Freehauf Ayaka Kazama Masae Kobayashi Nobuyo Naoe Takako Onuma Seiko Oshima Reiko Osumi Masako Ryder Terue Saito

Viola Xiang-Ling Kong, principal Sayuri Lyons Yumi Oshima Cello Miho Zaitsu, principal Kai-Wen Liu Seth Woods Caleigh Drane Bass Lawrence Goldman, principal Yuta Tanaka Machiko Sanada Yasuko Soeno Misao Tokieda Aiko Yasuda Mieko Yuasa Jyunko Torii* Reiko Braun* Mamiko Tsurumi* Toshie Moore* Akemi Hiruma* Kayoko Nishitani* Mitsuyo Kobayashi*

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*The RICO Chorus

************************************************* This Concert Is Produced By Reona Ito Choral Concert Series Project Concert Staffs Reona Ito, Executive Producer Yuta Tanaka and Noriko Nagao, Manager Shizuko Kato and Yuta Tanaka, Program Editor Futoshi Miyai, Stage Manager Mitsuko Kawashima, Costume Coordinator Also we would like to thank our wonderful volunteers for their tireless works. Special Thanks To Mr. & Mrs. Ichida Koji and Seiko Oshima / Ms. Eiko Aono / Ms. Yoko Sasaki Ms. Shizuko Kato / Ms. Fusako Ohta (Japanese Intercultural Network) Mr. & Mrs. Reiji and Tsukiko Kimura (Hakobune Inc.) Japanese American Association of New York (Mr. Gary Moriwaki, President / Ms. Michiyo Noda, Executive Director) All of the JAA Chorus Members

Mezzo-Soprano Yukie Clark Ayae Hashimoto Mitsuko Kawashima Chizuko Korn Shoko Nguchi Yoko Sasaki Simon Michiko Akemi Tomizawa Emi Tomizawa Harumi Tsuruga Yoshiko Matsumoto Manami Noguchi* Marine Noguchi* Mikako Osawa*

Alto Shizuko Kato Toshiko Matsukawa Fusako Ohta Hiroko Onogawa Rumiko Saeki Ritsuko Suzuki Sadako Yamauchi Tomoko Shiimoto* Rinko Kinoshita* Tenor / Bass Koji Ichida Hideo Kidokoro Hideo Watanabe Momoji Matsumoto Harry Nishitani* Seiichi Tsurumi* Yukio Torii* Roland Moleka*

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Acknowledgement This Concert Is Sponsored By Japanese Intercultural Network Mr. & Mrs. Ikkan and Machiko Sanada

Eurasia Culture Exchange Support Center www.eurasia.jp

Supported by Consulate General of Japan in New York Japanese American Association of New York (www.jaany.org) Shukan NY Seikatsu (www.nyseikatsu.com) Also we gratefully acknowledges the support of the following individuals Ms. Tomoko Hanway Ms. Chizuko Korn Ms. Yoko Sasaki Ms. Fusako Ohta Ms. Reiko Braun Ms. Ritsuko Suzuki / Ms. Shoko Noguchi Mr. & Mrs. Koji Ichida & Seiko Oshima / Ms. Michiko Yokomizo Ms. Yukie Clerk / Ms. Eiko Aono / Ms. Tsutsumi Asada / Ms. Shizuko Kato Ms. Mitsuko Kawashima And Anonymous Donors

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ゾクゾクするハモリ、オーケストラ伴奏コンサートの醍醐味！ 日時: 毎週金曜日 1:15 PM ～ 3:00 PM 場所: ニューヨーク日系人会(JAA) 15 West 44th Street ( be t . 5 t h & 6 t h Av e . ) 11thfl., NYC 会費： JAA会員 $8/クラス、JAA学生 $4/クラス、一般 $10/クラス レッスン料の他に楽譜代 $１/月を徴収します。 お問い合わせ: JAA(212)840-6942 または [email protected] あるいは直接レッスンへどうぞ。(初回見学無料）

♪♪ ～*～**～***～**～*～♪♪♪ ＊ 唄好き、初心者、経験者も大歓迎！

＊ 喉に負担のない発声指導で心身爽快！

＊ 日本語の懐かしい曲、新曲、クラシックの名曲他!

＊ 実力派若手ミュージシャン共演コンサート！

＊ 日系唯一、オーケストラ伴奏のコンサート！ JAA コーラス音楽監督・指揮者 伊藤玲阿奈 The LeFrak Concert Hall, Aaron Copland School of Music, Queens College Photo by Masao Katagami

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２０１０年はモーツァルト「戴冠式ミサ」や ベートーヴェン「第九」コンサートを予定！

詳しくはウェブサイトで

Website www.nyriccs.com Email [email protected]