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Noriko Koide's Whale Premiered by Kanade Yokoyama and the Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra

Nov. 24, 2025

On November 24, Noriko Koide's new orchestral work Whale was premiered at the NTK Hall Forest Hall in Nagoya by the Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Kanade Yokoyama.

This new work, commissioned by the Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra, is not only a contribution to the contemporary orchestral repertoire but also a creative act of inclusion. Koide, who has been actively involved in multi-dimensional art projects for children for years (including with the group Doubutsu Ongakutai), composed Whale specifically for a children's concert, inviting young participants to actively contribute.

The pedagogical approach is a core element of the work: Shortly before the concert began, the composer led a workshop where children crafted homemade musical instruments, described as large containers with many beads. These instruments were not just a craft project; they become an integral part of the premiere performance.

Whale thus became a unique community experience: the Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra's playing merged with the texture-rich sounds of the children's instruments to portray the different characteristics of the whale through music. Listeners witnessed how the whale—represented by this unusual combination of professionals and amateurs—swam through the ocean.

Noriko Koide's style is complex, but she consistently uses innovative techniques to create unique textures and colors. Koide studied composition in Tokyo, Amsterdam, and The Hague, and has won several important prizes, including the 2007 Akutagawa Award for Music Composition.

Particularly influential on Koide's sound world is her deep interest in traditional Javanese Gamelan music, which she studied in Indonesia. She describes her musical language as a point where Western musical language and Gamelan language—which often proceed in opposite directions—meet and coexist, similar to installing Mac and Windows together.

Works like Riverside (invoking a mythological river) and Swaddling Silk and Gossamer Rain demonstrate Koide's ability to translate philosophical depth and poetic titles into music. Whale follows this tradition by combining the fascinating theme of marine life and the innovative integration of unconventional sounds into a significant work of musical pedagogy.

To learn more about Noriko Koide, visit schott-music.com.

Noriko Koide
Whale (2025)
for orchestra
2.2.2.2-4.2.3.1-3perc-hp-pno-str
6'

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