Japanese-owned Stradivarius violin sells for $15 million at auction
The violin, made by Antonio Stradivari in 1714 during the Italian craftsman's "golden period," was put up by Tokuji Munetsugu, founder of the operator of the CoCo Ichibanya restaurant chain.
Kitri: Sisters are doin' it for themselves
Monami Kida can't remember the last time she had an argument with Hinano, her younger sister and partner in the classical-meets-pop project Kitri. "It might have been a disagreement regarding the order of the songs we would play live," Monami, better known as Mona, says. ...
Nagoya student tracks classical and jazz gigs for music fans across Japan
A student at Nagoya University's Graduate School of Information Science has developed an online platform for music fans that keeps them update on classical and jazz concerts by musician and venue. Kanji Toyama, 24, named the service Sonoligo after his startup Sonoligo Inc., which incorporates ...
Etsko Tazaki creates her own legacy at the piano keys
If you were a musician and your death was imminent, what piece of music would you like to cover before you die? Maybe you'd want to play a Sex Pistols track on the guitar, or perhaps try mastering a trumpet solo by Dizzy Gillespie? Pianist ...
Jia Pengfang left his home in rural China with an erhu and a dream
Jia Pengfang's talent with the erhu took him around the world, but would audiences overseas appreciate the traditional Chinese instrument?
Conductor Ozawa makes comeback after surgery for heart valve disease
World-renowned conductor Seiji Ozawa made a comeback Saturday after undergoing surgery for heart valve disease, pleasing his fans, who have not seen him conducting in about nine months. The 82-year-old returned to conducting at a concert in Nagano Prefecture by students of the Ozawa International ...
The amateur members of Tokyo Symphony Chorus perform like true professionals
The Tokyo Symphony Orchestra (TSO) opens its 2017/18 season on April 22 at Muza Kawasaki Symphony Hall, but the performance will be lacking one crucial element during the opening piece: the orchestra. Instead, the 48 members of the Tokyo Symphony Chorus (TSC) will take the ...
Yoshiki prepares for classical tour amid a new appreciation for his legacy
Not many musicians are able to say that they've taken the stage at both New York City's Madison Square Garden and Carnegie Hall, two of the most prestigious venues in rock and classical music, respectively. Drummer, pianist and songwriter Yoshiki Hayashi, however, is stepping ...
Composers Joe Hisaishi and Philip Glass team up for a special performance
The term "contemporary classical music" may sound straightforward, but it isn't. That is why one of Japan's most influential composers has made it his mission to guide people through what is essentially a sonic labyrinth. Although the term can refer to any classical music made ...
Tokyo violin maker's apprentice fulfills lifetime dream at 81
Japan Times Community article rekindled Tokyo academic's thwarted 70-year ambition to craft a thing of beauty.
Chopin competition winner focuses on art
These days the road to fame often starts with a viral video on YouTube, but Korean pianist Seong-jin Cho took the classic route — he won a music competition. The 21-year-old winner of the international Frederic Chopin piano competition, told the press at the Polish ...
Pianist Etsko Tazaki seeks out the legacies of Brahms, Beethoven and Schubert
Whether their lives were long or short, the classic composers tended to cement their legacies in their final days, perhaps the point in their lives when they were at their most philosophical. Pianist Etsko Tazaki is fascinated by the legacies these artists leave, and is ...
