Naoki Tsurusaki (Cello, Composer) Sonata and Chamber Music Series Vol.3

Program

B. Bartok: Rhapsody No. 1
B. Bartok: Rhapsodie No.1

IF Stravinsky: Italian Suite
IF Stravinsky: Suite Italienne

L. Janáček: Fairy Tales
L. Janacek: Pohadka (Fairy-tale)

S. Prokofiev: Cello Sonata op.119
S. Prokofiev: Cello Sonata in C major, Op.119

Profile

Naoki Tsurusaki, violoncello
Born in 1953. In 1975, while studying at Tokyo University of the Arts, he studied at the Paris Conservatoire National Conservatoire as a French government scholarship student and graduated with the first prize. Studied under Mr. Takayuki Miki, the late Reine Frachaud, and the late Maurice Gendron. In addition to performing with the Lyon Chamber Orchestra, the Hokkaido Symphony Orchestra, the Ebetsu String Ensemble, Michio Kobayashi, Katsumi Ueda, Ichiro Nodaira, and Kazushi Ono, he has performed at the Aix-en-Provence Music Festival and the Berlioz Music Festival. World premiere of Ichiro Nohira's "Two Portraits" for cello and piano in the Chamber Music Series at the Opera de Lyon. Bach's "Unaccompanied Cello Suite" full-length live recording was released by Live Notes and was well received. 《When you listen to it, you will be tempted by an emotion that transcends reason. […] and the passage from the abyss of No. 5 to the exaltation of No. 6 is also particularly memorable. It is a great pleasure to know this extraordinary cellist in such a happy way. 》(Jiro Hamada "Record Geijutsu" May 2005 Semi-Special)
In recent years, he has also focused on composing, including "Impromptu II" and "Memory of a Scenery" for piano and clarinet in the chamber music series of the Lyon Opera. In 2007, in Hiroshima and Nara, the revised version "Memory of a Scenery" for clarinet and string quartet was premiered and received favorable reviews. A member of the Lyon Opera House since its founding.

Kenji Watanabe, piano
Born in 1954. After graduating from the Nagoya Municipal Kikusato High School Music Course, he went on to Tokyo University of the Arts, completed its graduate school, and won first prize at the 43rd Music Competition of Japan and a special award at the Overseas Dispatch Competition. In 1978, he studied at the Liszt Conservatory in Hungary. 1979 Munich International Music Competition 3rd prize, 1980 1st Japan International Music Competition 5th prize, 1981 Liszt-Bartok International Competition 4th prize. After performing actively in various European countries, in 1983, he returned to Japan after receiving an artist diploma from the Liszt Conservatory. In 1986, he was awarded the List Memorial Medal by the Hungarian government. Currently, while teaching at the Tokyo University of the Arts, he is active in many recitals, chamber music, and co-starring with orchestras as one of Japan's leading Liszt specialists. He studied under the late Yutaka Yamakami, Susumu Nagai, Hiroshi Tamura, Toyoaki Matsuura, P. Shoimosch, G. Agosti, G. Chebek, and T. Vasari. For three years from 1988, he received instruction in separate singing from Mr. Motoyuki Sasaki. In 1992, he received the "Sky Day" Art Award (Japan Aeronautical Association), and studied in Vienna for one year from 1993 to 1994. He is currently a director, vice president, and director of the Art Information Center at Tokyo University of the Arts.