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Zen-On Releases Alice Nakamura's Wind Channel for Alto Saxophone and Piano

Sep. 28, 2024

Zen-On Releases Alice Nakamura's <em>Wind Channel</em> for Alto Saxophone and Piano

A new publication of Alice Nakamura's Wind Channel for alto saxophone and piano was released by Zen-On on September 15. The work was commissioned by Zen-On, Ltd. and premiered on December 9, 2016 at Tokyo Bunka Kaikan by saxophonist Nobuya Sugawa and pianist Michiyo Haneishi.


Nobuya Sugawa and Michiyo Haneishi perform Alice Nakamura's Wind Channel

Alice Nakamura describes the inspiration behind her composition:

"Ancient Thai medicine is based on the idea that the human body consists of the four elements: earth, water, wind and fire – the correct balance between them resulting in a healthy physical constitution. Physicians trained in this concept treat their patients in line with a three-pronged approach embracing Massage, Samunprai (therapy using natural drugs) and Rew-Sii Dat-ton (exercises similar to yoga aimed at getting the body in good shape and involving various spontaneous movements).

Gaining a hint from this traditional approach to medicine, I have composed a work in three sections that explores the wide variety of tone colors available to the combination of saxophone and piano. 

1. Wind Channel
This section for saxophone solo is inspired by ‘massage’, which involves a transmission of energy by means of the human hand. Wind Channel, the title of the work as a whole, refers to a point on the groin which, when pressed for 35 seconds, enables fresh blood to circulate through the body.

2. Hua Phlai
Hua phlai is the name of an herb used in Samunprai therapy. In addition to its medicinal properties, it creates a soothing effect with its refreshing orange scent. In this section, I have attempted to create a soft sound world extending beyond the sense of hearing to include an intimation of the sense of smell.

3. Rew-Sii Dat-ton
This section focuses on rhythm. It begins with hard sounds in the saxophone’s lower register. The pulse at the core of the section as a whole is based on the heartbeat.

I should like to take this opportunity to thank Nobuya Sugawa and Michiyo Haneishi, who gave this work its first performance, and Takayuki Nii and Yuko Inui from Zen-On Music, who enabled its publication.

Wind Channel is dedicated to the memory of my esteemed teacher, the late Akira Nishimura."

Born in Tokyo in 1982, Alice Nakamura majored in composition and conducting at the Tokyo College of Music, graduating in 2007. She studied composition with Akira Nishimura, Noriko Hisada and Shō Ueda and piano with Yukiko Takeshima and Setsuko Miyahara. She was awarded the President’s Prize in the 2nd Tokyo College of Music Awards, second prize in the composition category at the 82nd Japan Music Competition, second prize in the 2016 Tōru Takemitsu Composition Awards, the Red Baton Prize (the top prize in the experimental music category) in the 2009 Red Stick International Animation Festival in Baton Rouge, and was a finalist at the 27th Akutagawa Composition Awards in 2017.

To learn more about Alice Nakamura, visit zen-on.co.jp.

Alice Nakamura
Wind Channel (2016)
for alto saxophone and piano
14'

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