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Kenji Sakai's Cantus Debuts in Japan; Borders at the Wellesley Composers Conference

Jul. 01, 2017

Kenji Sakai's <em>Cantus</em> Debuts in Japan; <em>Borders</em> at the Wellesley Composers Conference

The music of rising Japanese composer Kenji Sakai can be heard on both sides of the Pacific this summer with performances in Massachusetts and Japan, including the world premiere of his new work Cantus for Japanese instruments.

On July 21, the Wellesley College Composers Conference in Massachusetts hosts a performance of Sakai’s Borders, for soprano and ensemble. Originally composed for an ensemble of clarinet, horn, shakuhachi, violin and cello, this performance features the premiere of a new version with flute replacing shakuhachi. Borders had its first performance in February 2017 as part of the Music From Japan festival in New York. The work confronts issues of boundary and separation, including physical and sonic "borders" as well as the idea of the earth's horizon (as described in the soprano's text taken from the Rimbaud poem Eternite). 

Listen to an excerpt from the premiere at New York's Scandinavia House earlier this season:

On August 20, the Hogaku Solis”den” Ensemble give the world premiere of Sakai’s Cantus at the Utsunomiya City Cultural Hall in Tochigi, Japan. The 10-minute work, scored for shakuhachi, shamisen, one 17-string Koto and two 13-string Kotos, was commissioned by the Utsunomiya Cultural Foundation.

Also this summer, Sakai’s Fog and Bubbles for 16 musicians and electronics receives its Japanese premiere on July 10. The performance takes place with the Tokyo Sinfonietta at Bunka Kaikan Recital Hall, led by Yasuaki Itakura. 

For more information on Kenji Sakai, visit zen-on.co.jp and kenjisakai.net

Kenji Sakai
Fog and Bubbles (2011-2012)
for ensemble of 16 players and electronics
1.1.1.1-1.1.1.0-2perc-pno.synth-str(1.1.1.1.1)
20’

Borders (2016)
for soprano and ensemble
text from “Eternite” by Arthur Rimbaud
shakuhachi(or fl).cl-perc-vn.vc
10’

Cantus (2017)
for Japanese instruments
shakuhachi.shamisen-2 13-string Koto.17-string Koto
10’

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