Five World Premieres at Zen-On's Annual Contemporary Music Concert in Tokyo
Dec. 01, 2019

On December 13, Zen-On Music Co., Ltd. will present the world premiere performances of five new works for solo or duo at their 25th annual contemporary music concert “Groupe des Quatre et ses ami(e)s” ("The Group of Four and Their Friends") at the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan Hall. This concert features new music by Shin-ichiro Ikebe, Tokuhide Niimi, Akira Nishimura, Hitomi Kaneko, and this year's guest composer, Shoichi Yabuta. The annual event is the highlight of Zen-On's activities throughout the year and since its beginnings in 1994, Zen-On has produced and organized the series without external support. 155 composers and 257 performers have taken part in the series since 1994, and 148 works have received world premieres, including the new works on this year’s concert. All of the new works included in the series were commissioned by Zen-On and published or will be published following their premieres. As in earlier years, the concert will be broadcast by NHK-FM, Japan's national broadcasting service.
New works to be premiered on December 13 include Shin-Ichiro Ikebe's Laughing Harmonica, Boiling Harmonica performed by Yasuo Watani, Tokuhide Niimi's Sonitus Vitalis VI performed by Reiko Watanabe, Akira Nishimura's HIMITU (Frozen Honey), played by Kaori Wakabayashi, Hitomi Kaneko's Composition by 3D modeling V played by Nobuya Sugawa and Masanori Oishi, and Shoichi Yabuta's Inorino Hana performed by Kanna Ogawa and Koki Kuroiwa.
(Miyabi/Hitomi Kaneko/Ewa Liebchen and Rafał Jędrzejewski, flutes)
For more information about Shin-Ichiro Ikebe, Tokuhide Niimi, Akira Nishimura, Hitomi Kaneko, and Shoichi Yabuta, visit zen-on.co.jp
Shin-ichiro Ikebe
Laughing Harmonica, Boiling Harmonica
Tokuhide Niimi
Sonitus Vitalis VI
for violin solo
Akira Nishimura
HIMITU (Frozen Honey)
for flute solo
Hitomi Kaneko
Composition by 3D modeling V
for 2 saxophonists
Shoichi Yabuta
Inorino Hana