Tokyo Choir Kyo
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Tokyo Choir Kyo was founded in 1981 as Tokyo Choir OMP,
consisting of sixty members, all of which are amateurs from Tokyo.
OMP had participated in "JCA National Choral Competition" every year
until 1994 and won two Grand Prix as well as eleven Gold Prizes.
In 1996, OMP was invited to the 4th World Symposium on Choral Music
in Sydney, Australia, representing Japan, and its performance was
highly commented.
OMP changed its name to Tokyo Choir Kyo in January 2001 to welcome
the new 21st Century. Kyo has inherited the spirit "Learn from the Past,
Live in the Present and Create the Future" which was cultivated
at the time of OMP.
Their goal is to contribute to the further evolution of the
Japanese choral culture.
Repertoire of Kyo is very vast, from the early European music,
mainly on the late Medieval to the Renaissance, contemporary pieces
written by both the European and the Japanese composers and to
the "Theater Pieces".
Kyo has also commissioned the Japanese contemporary composers
such as Akira MIYOSHI, Tokuhide NIIMI, Akira NISHIMURA and Haruna MIYAKE
a lot new pieces.
Most of those commissioned works by the Japanese composer requires
for a choir to develop high level of technique as well as diversity of voice texture
from bel canto to the traditional Japanese singing.
"Theater Piece" is a new genre of the choral music that emerged in Japan in the 70's,
can be defined as a choral piece with performance done by the choir.
It goes beyond singing, some of which are like choral opera and others
more like symbolic plays. Tokyo Choir Kyo has been putting a lot of focus
on the commissioned works and on the performances of this new style
of choral music, in collaboration with the distinguished stage directors.
LIST OF COMMISSIONED WORKS
- 1983 AOSHIMA, Hiroshi "Taisei meika shu" (Famous Western Songs) for mixed chorus, pf.
- 1984 NIIMI, Tokuhide "Umi no kioku" (Memory of the Sea) for mixed chorus, pf.
- 1985 NISHIMURA, Akira "Maboroshi no bara" (Rose of Illusion) for mixed chorus, pf.
- 1987 MIYOSHI, Akira "Umi" (The Sea) for mixed choir, two pfs.
- 1989-1990 NIIMI, Tokuhide "Tokoyo kara" (From Eternity) for mixed chorus, pf duo.
- 1990 NISHIMURA, Akira "Shikishi naishinno no nanatsu no uta" (Seven Poems of Princess Shikishi) for unaccompanied mixed chorus.
- 1991 IKEBE, Shin'ichiro "Taro no ki" (The Tree of Taro: a choral opera) Sop., Alto, Bar., mixed chorus, pf., perc., synthesizer (1991 ver.); Sop., Alto, Bar., mixed chorus, pf. (1992 ver.)
- 1994 IKEBE, Shin'ichiro "Uta no shosoku" (Letters from the Song) for mixed chorus, pf. Theater piece.
- 1995 NIIMI, Tokuhide "Tamashii no fune" (The Soul Ship: funeral music) for mixed chorus, pf.
- 1996 MIYOSHI, Akira "Kamuy no kaze" (Wind of Kamuy) for mixed chorus, pf.
Mr.Kuriyama Fumiaki (b.1942) is the musical director and conductor of "Ritsuyu-kai"
which is made up of five mixed choirs, six female choirs, and one male choir.
He has been active in various performances and also has commissioned
many new works to Japanese leading contemporary composers.
From 1997 he has promoted the Tokyo Cantat with his friends
who are young Japanese conductors and choralists.
In 1992,he was invited to the Oregon Bach Festival, which was promoted by
Helmuth Rilling.And in the same year,he was also invited to the 20th Meeting of
Polyphonic Choir "Citta di Fano"in Italy.
And in 1993,he also invited to the 3rd World Symposium on Choral Music
in Vancouver as an expert in Japanese contemporary choral works.
In 1994,he participated in Tolosa International Choral Contest with his choir
"CoroKallos"and awarded the Grand Prix.
Moreover,he participated in Vll European Grand Prize of Choral Chant
held in Arezzo in Italy and won the Grand Prix.
He was also invited to the 4th World Symposium on Choral Music in Sydney in August,
1996 with his choir "Tokyo Choir OMP".
In 1998,he is invited to Tolosa International Choral Contest as a jury.
Please contact:
RITSUYUKAI
102 Haitsu Kuze 2-28-4 Higashi Ikebukuro
Toshima-ku, Tokyo JAPAN 170
Phone+FAX: +81-3-3985-5356