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World Premiere of Noriko Koide's Sumika by the Ruritoranoō String Quartet in Shiga, Japan

Dec. 20, 2024

On November 9, the Ruritoranoō String Quartet premiered Noriko Koide's Sumika at a concert titled “C³ vol.2 - Contemporary Music and the 'Kan' to the Future" held at STIMMER SAAL in Shiga, Japan. Sumika, for string quartet, was commissioned by the Biwako Arts Foundation.

The 'Biwako Artists Mingle' is an initiative that fosters "encounters between the community and art, as well as exchanges among artists, leading to the creation of art." Consisting of three main components: the music department, the visual arts department, and a platform for interaction, its goal is to "create encounters and exchanges that stimulate knowledge and sensibilities through art, thereby deepening the strength of the local community." Activities take place across various regions surrounding Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture.

Started in 2023, the music department's “C³” series invites leading composers at the forefront of the contemporary music world to challenge new forms of expression through the 'string quartet,' a musical form that has been the foundation of compositional technique in its complete four-part structure since Haydn. The department explains, “Spanning over three years, (this series) tours important lands alongside the roads of Omi and Shiga since ancient times and presents new works inspired by each location." This year – the second year that this series had taken place – composer Noriko Koide was commissioned to compose a piece for members of the Ruritoranoō String Quartet who are specialists in the contemporary music scene: violinists Yoshu Kamei and Maiko Matsuoko, violist Takahiro Yasuda, and cellist and Seiko Takemoto. As resident artists of this series, they have been deepening their connection with Shiga Prefecture and have aimed to express the charm of the local region through music.

The title "C³" refers to "Current × Creation × Composition," representing an ambitious series that aims to envision the future of classical music from three perspectives. The overarching theme is based on the Zen concept of 'Kan', and was intended for the public to 'imagine music that opens up after passing through various gates along the journey'.

Sumika was inspired by Mount Mikami, which is also known as Omi Fuji. Noriko Koide, who composes with a sensitivity that is grounded by her personal experiences, climbed Mount Mikami for this project and created this new work based on the inspiration that she gained from the experience.

The habitat of the mountain, ‘kami-sama’ (meaning ‘God’ in Japanese) has been an object of worship in the area since ancient times. The habitat of the Eurasian Bluebird (Ōruri) singing in the mountains, and the habitat of diverse living creatures and plants that inhabit the area and of the people who worship on Mount Mikami….these diverse 'habitats' are depicted in this work, alongside the scenery of the mountain trail, the rich waters stored in Mount Mikami also known as the Dragon King (in Japanese mythology, a Water God who governs water), the shape of the mountain's ridge, and the rocks and ground of the terrain.

Listen to Noriko Koide's Pipakolop (2009):
(Pipakolop/Noriko Koide/Asko|Schönberg/Bas Wiegers, conductor)

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

Noriko Koide
Sumika (2024)
for string quartet

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