You Saito

Yo Saito, Harp

Graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts in 1983. Graduated from the same graduate school in 1985. Studied at the Lausanne Conservatory in Switzerland.
Studied under Sumire Kuwashima, Chantal Mathieu, and Atsuko Yoshino. Also, L.I. Laskine, S. Under the guidance of world-famous harpists such as Mildonian.
Performed in a wide range of venues such as solo, ensemble, orchestra, studio recording, and broadcasting while in school.
1991, 2nd prize in the professional section of the Japan Harp Competition.
Since 1987, he has independently held 6 recitals at Casals Hall and other venues in Tokyo.
Debuted as an orchestral soloist in 1989 with the Japan Philharmonic/Mozart conducted by Akeo Watanabe (Fl Sanae Nakayama). He has performed with the Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra, New Vivaldi Ensemble, Wiener Mozart Chamber Orchestra, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Yokohama Minatomirai Hall Silvester Orchestra, Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra, and others. He is known for his concertos by Handel, Mozart and Debussy.
The main co-stars so far are flute / Shinya Koide, Yumi Yamagata, R.I. Kovac, J. Ferrandis, G. Bear, Taiichi Uemura, Shigenori Kudo, Rie Akagi, Ayako Takagi, Megumi Hirayama, Violin/R. Degareille, Yoshio Unno, Fumio Tokunaga, Sonoko Numata, Cello/Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, Tsukichi Saito, Kaoru Hanasaki, Piano/Kentaro Haneda, P. Sigmanowski, Soprano/Sato Shinobu, Ondomarutono/Takashi Harada, Ocarina/Sojiro, Singer-songwriter/Mimori Yusa, etc.
Alongside his orthodox activities in the classical genre, he developed his unique sensibilities cultivated from his performance career as a studio musician, and worked on creating new performance forms and works that make full use of overdubbing and electronics.
CD albums were released in 1997, "Soft & Mild 'Southern Cross'" by Bandai Music, and in 2002, "Illusory Celtic Irish Music Played by the Harp" by Kitty MME/Universal Music. It consisted of a cover song that made full use of. Since then, from his own label "Igrec Records", he has released CDs of "Kugo Maboroshi no Harp" in 2006, "Izumi", a collection of classical pieces in 2009, and "Hoshizora no Promenade", a collection of his own performances.
He also collects and plays the historically important 19th-century French erard harp and the lyre lyre "Kugo," which was revived from a 1,200-year hiatus in the Shosoin Repository.
Based on his unique and diverse performance career, he strives to create high-quality concerts from a friendly perspective, and has earned a reputation as a talented group that is active on the front lines.
In 1997, he received the TOYP Grand Prize from Junior Chamber International Japan.
From 2008 to 2010, at Yokohama Minatomirai Hall, he produced the harp festival concert series "The Future of the Harp" and the CD "Flying Young Harpist" series.
2004, 2009 Japan Harp Competition judge.
Director of the Japan Harp Association. Associate member of JASRAC. Member of the Japan Federation of Musicians. A member of the Yokohama Music Culture Association.

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