Ryoko Sugaya records the Echigo-Tsumari Cultural Hall “Danjuro”

We recorded the CD album over three days from August 22 to 24. The recording location is the Echigo-Tsumari Cultural Hall “Danjuro” in Niigata Prefecture, and the pianist is Ryoko Sugaya.

[Ryoko Sugaya profile]

Born in Fukuoka city. Studied at the Fukuoka Academy of Music.

Graduated from the diploma course of Fukuoka Jogakuin High School and Toho Gakuen University. Graduated from Keio University Faculty of Letters (majoring in aesthetics and art history). Graduated from Toho Gakuen Graduate School. Studied under the late Minoru Nojima, a world-renowned pianist.

In 2007, a solo concert was held at the main branch of Fukuoka Bank. In July 2012, a series of concerts featuring the complete piano works of JS Bach will be held at Sundial Hill Hall, scheduled to be completed in 2024. He has given concerts in Fukuoka, Tokyo, Nasu, Sendai, etc.

A solo concert sponsored by the Japanese Culture Salon will take place in Tokyo in February and April 2023.

Part-time lecturer at the Faculty of Design, Kyushu University.

Ryoko Sugaya: https://ryoko-sugaya.com/

The recorded programs include Liszt: Piano Sonata in B minor, Brahms: Piano Sonata No. 3, and several pieces by Chopin, Schubert, Debussy, Ravel, and Bach. The piano used for the recording was a 1912 New York Steinway CD368. Brought in by Takagi Piano Co., Ltd. The CD in CD368 is an abbreviation for Concert D Type, and it is an instrument that was used on loan at the concert department of Steinway headquarters at the time. Steinways from the early 20th century were of such high quality that they were called the Golden Age, and were the instruments of the era of great masters. When you hear the sound up close, you feel that this piano piece was made for that sound.

Tokamachi in Niigata Prefecture is famous for its Jomon ruins. The deep bowl-shaped pottery unearthed in the Sasayama ruins, including the famous Kaengata pottery that everyone has seen in textbooks, has been designated as a national treasure and serves as a valuable historical document that helps us understand the life of the Jomon people. I tell you. Due to the nature of the area, Danjuro, where the film was shot, was built with the motif of the flame-shaped earthenware of the national treasure, creating a tranquil space where you can feel the warmth of the wood.

I think the acoustics of the hall were perfect for this program, with a reverberation that highlighted the resonance of the instruments. The two main songs by Liszt and Brahms have a large number of notes and many technical aspects, so the quality and degree of reverberation is closely linked to the image of the song.

It was Mr. Kanaya's first time to do a full recording, so he was a little worried before the recording, but with the relevant instruction from Mr. Eitaro Ogawa, the representative of the organizer "Japanese Culture Salon", everything went smoothly and I was able to finish the work.

The sound source recorded this time will be edited and mastered and will be released on CD by the end of the year. We will briefly present some of the recordings.

Mr Kantani's piano solo concert is also planned. If you are interested, please contact us below.

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Performance in Fukuoka October 8, 2023 (Sunday) 2:00 p.m. start (doors open at 1:30 p.m.)

FFG Hall (formerly the main hall of the main branch of Fukuoka Bank)

Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op.

Chopin: Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52

List: Piano Sonata in B minor

Tickets General: 3,000 Yen Students: 1,000 Yen

Ticket inquiries: 090-4213-8775 (Secretariat of the fan association “Sundial Hill”)

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Performance in Tokyo October 26, 2023 (Thursday) 7:00 p.m. start (doors open at 6:30 p.m.)

Hakuju Hall (7F, Hakuju Bioscience Research Institute Main Building, 1-37-5 Tomigaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo)

Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op.

Chopin: Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52

List: Piano Sonata in B minor

Free tickets for all seats: 5,000 yen

Ticket inquiries: https://nipponbunkasalon.com/

Email: office@nipponbunkasalon.com

Telephone: 070-4006-2975 (Direct to the staff in the office, weekdays 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.)

090-4213-8775 (Ryoko Sugaya Supporters Association “Sundial Hill”)