Dai Fujikura has now received his third Otaka Prize – this time for his orchestra work
Glorious Clouds. Founded by the NHK Symphony Orchestra, the esteemed award is given annually to a Japanese composer in honor of outstanding orchestral work. The award ceremony is set to take place in May in Tokyo, during which the Japanese national premiere of
Glorious Clouds will also be performed by the NHK Symphony Orchestra, as conducted by Josep Pons.
Meanwhile, February has been a busy month of world premieres of Fujikura’s newest compositions:
Narwhal Echo premiered on February 21 in Paris through a collaboration between Sequenza 9.3 and the Orchestre national d'Île-de-France. The next day,
Suite from Solaris had its world premiere in Nagoya, Japan, under the baton of Antoni Wit with the Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra.
On the same evening, Fujikura’s
My Letter to the World premiered as a version for soprano and piano in Tokyo, as soloists Rie Miyake (soprano) and Lucas Wong (piano) came together to bring the composer’s reimagined work to life. And just one day later,
My Letter to the World premiered again, this time as a version for baritone and ensemble, with soloist Toshiya Yabuuchi and the Ensemble Nomad conducted by Norio Sato.
Bringing the streak of world premieres to a close, Fujikura’s Horn Concerto No. 2 will have its debut as a version for horn and ensemble on March 30 in Tokyo, with Nobuaki Fukukawa as the soloist.
World Premieres – February/March 2019
Dai Fujikura preparing Narwhal Echo with Sequenza 9.3
21.02.2019 (Paris, France)
Narwhal Echo (2018)
for 3 female voices and cello
Duration: 5'
Members of Sequenza 9.3 (voices)
and
principal cellist of Orchestre national d'Île-de-France
22.02.2019 (Nagoya, Japan)
Suite from Solaris (2014, 2017)
for orchestra
2.2.2.2 - 2.2.1.0 - perc.cel - str
Duration: 20'
Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra, Antoni Wit (cond.)
22.02.2019 (Tokyo, Japan)
My Letter to the World (2012/2014/2018)
version for soprano and piano
Duration: 14'
Rie Miyake (soprano), Lucas Wong (piano)
23.02.2019 (Tokyo, Japan)
My Letter to the World (2012/2014/2018)
version for baritone and ensemble
Bar - ob.cl.perc.pf.2vl.vla.vc.db
Duration: 12'
Toshiya Yabuuchi (baritone)
Ensemble Nomad, Norio Sato (cond.)
30.03.2018 (Tokyo, Japan)
Horn Concerto No. 2 (2015/2016/2017)
Horn and Ensemble version
hn - fl.ob.cl.bsn.perc.pf.2vl.vla.vc.db
Duration: 20'
Nobuaki Fukukawa (horn) & Friends
View scores
Photos: Seiji Okumiya, Claire Leroux
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