From the intimate to the divine: an intriguing musical exploration of Chinese music and philosophy alongside European classical traditions.

EPSG:4326

Tangram: Rituals for a Changing World

Sheffield Theatres

Inspired by one of the earliest texts of Chinese philosophy, Divine Intimacies explores how nearly a thousand years of musical thought can be translated into contemporary sound. During the performance, visual representations of hexagrams from the I-Ching will be generated in real time and projected around the space, guiding structured improvisations between the musicians.

Tangram: Divine Intimacies

LSO St Luke's

French composer Camille Pépin has found her very own musical language. Impressionistic, exotic, and minimalist elements combine to create an enchanted, mystical soundscape of shimmering timbres. "Les Eaux célestes" is inspired by an ancient Chinese legend, the celestial love story between Orihime, who weaves the clouds, and Hikoboshi, who tends the celestial cows—both have their own melody. The legend tells of the formation of the Milky Way and how the two celestial entities bridged it to find each other.

Heavenly fog

Bochumer Symphoniker

Hosokawa Beethoven Brahms

Gasteig HP8

In no other music do the horns blare so joyfully and magnificently as in Robert Schumann’s Concert Piece in F major. Born in Zwickau, Schumann composed the work in Dresden in 1849, at the time a center of the German revolutionary movement. As Schumann noted, the political turmoil sparked his creative powers, as the jubilant sounds of his concert piece testify. A highlight of Sylvain Cambreling’s work as General Music Director of the Stuttgart State Opera from 2012 to 2018 was the world premiere of Toshio Hosokawa’s opera Erdbeben. Träume. From this work, the Japanese composer has put together an orchestral suite in which he reminds us of the extent to which (natural) disasters demand humility from life on our planet. Human destiny is at the very heart of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony. The Russian Romantic composer considered “the whole of life“ to be “an incessant alternation of harsh reality with fleeting dreams of happiness“. And this is exactly what he turned into music with his Fourth, unleashing powerful storms of life as well as conjuring up islands of idyll.

1. Symphony Concert

Beethoven Hall (Beethovensaal)

Gustav Mahler described his ‘Song of the Earth’, which was not premiered until 1911 after his death, as the most personal work he ever wrote. Antonello Manacorda precedes the symphonic song cycle in his concert with the orchestral piece ‘Blossoming II’ by the multi-award-winning Toshio Hosokawa. With Okka von der Damerau and David Butt Philip.

Symphony concert as part of the Musikfest Berlin

Berliner Philharmonie

This new opera work by Hosokawa Toshio is staged as the third in Artistic Director Ono's series of commissioned works from Japanese composers. Hosokawa Toshio is a leading composer of contemporary music who has created commissioned work for the world's major orchestras, musical festivals and opera houses. Natasha is the first opera by Hosokawa to be staged at the NNTT since Matsukaze in 2018, as well as his second opera to be world premiered by Ono Kazushi, the first being Hanjo, commissioned by the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence, in 2004.

Natasha

New National Theatre

Colin Currie Recital

Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival

Giacomo Puccini stands for grand opera and grand emotions. It is not widely known that the composer devoted himself to chamber music alongside his rich operatic output, and even tried out the "grand" form in it. Most of his works were written during his time as a student in Milan as a testament to his love of experimentation - including his Tre minuetti. From Italy he traveled to Japan with Toshio Hosokawa: he draws his inspiration from the connection between nature and man. Similar to the art of Japanese calligraphy, he sets note after note like a brushstroke, creating the most beautiful sound paintings. Camille Saint-Saëns was also an artist of timbres: his fantasy for harp and violin represents the gesture of French music par excellence - lightness and elegance meet clarity and haunting charm. Ludwig van Beethoven was by no means light-hearted when he set about writing his String Quartet in E flat major. A few months earlier, the Battle of Aspern, one of the bloodiest massacres of the Napoleonic Wars, had raged outside the gates of Vienna. A faint hope arose because Napoleon was unable to achieve a clear victory. The composer put some of this hope in the face of brooding melancholy into his music.

4th Chamber Concert

Elbphilharmonie Hamburg

Entfesselt

Museum Ludwig

### Event Description: Noh Reimagined - New Music by Birmingham Contemporary Music Group

**Date and Time:**  
Sunday, 23 June 2024  
Pre-concert talk: 3:30 PM  
Concert: 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM

**Location:**  
CBSO Centre, Berkley Street, Birmingham, B1 2LF

**Ticket Prices:**  
- General: £15.00  
- Student: £7.50  
- Under 12s: FREE with a paying adult

**Event Overview:**
Join the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (BCMG) for an enchanting afternoon as they present "Noh Reimagined," a captivating concert that merges ancient Japanese Noh Theatre traditions with contemporary music. This event marks the second half of BCMG's exploration into the world of Noh Theatre, featuring world premieres of new compositions by Ben Nobuto and Hollie Harding.

**Program Highlights:**
- **Hollie Harding (b. 1986) - NOH TRIPTYCH 2024**  
  *World Premiere, Sound Investment Commission*
  
- **Ben Nobuto (b. 1996) - interbeing 2024**  
  *World Premiere, Sound Investment Commission*
  
- **Toshio Hosokawa (b. 1955) - Slow Dance 1996**
  
- **Misato Mochizuki (b. 1969) - Voilages 2000**

**About Noh Theatre:**
Noh is a traditional Japanese theatre form that originated in the 14th and 15th centuries, developed by the renowned performer-playwrights Kannami and Zeami. Known for its stylized movement, masks, exquisite costumes, and symbolic staging, Noh creates a unique and powerful theatrical experience. This concert is the culmination of a special 2-year cultural exchange between traditional Noh artists and contemporary composers, facilitated by MU:Arts.

**Experience:**
- New music infused with ancient traditions and Japanese culture.
- Daring new works performed by world-class musicians of BCMG.
- A unique blend of old stories told in innovative ways.

**Additional Information:**
- **Pre-concert Talk:** Gain deeper insights into the music and the cultural exchange that inspired these new works, starting at 3:30 PM.

**Booking Information:**
Secure your tickets now to be part of this mesmerizing journey into the realm of Noh Theatre. Visit the BCMG website to book your place.

**Contact:**
For more information, call 0121 616 2616 or visit the CBSO Centre's website.

Don't miss this extraordinary event that bridges the gap between ancient traditions and contemporary music, offering a truly unique cultural experience.

Noh Reimagined New Music

CBSO Centre

Accordionist Manca Dornik makes her debut from RDAM's soloist programme


Debutkoncert Manca Dornik

Konservatoriets Koncertsal

Our musicians are not only first-class orchestra members, high-ranking soloists and enthusiastic chamber musicians: They are also part of the large network of musicians spanning all genres. Whether they make excursions into non-European music, like Hans Joachim Mohrmann, or help young musicians to get started, like Thomas Ludes: An orchestra is a nucleus for cultural and social activities, far beyond our own work! For example, there is the connection to the singers of the theater: when Thomas Ludes asked Marie Heeschen if she would like to do an evening with a wind quintet, she immediately and spontaneously agreed. Such a quintet as Solisti Bonna is a true musical chameleon that adapts to the circumstances and the partners and takes us into different musical realms with its countless colors. And so we can look forward to an evening with Marie Heeschen's bell-bright soprano voice and the virtuoso sounds of Solisti Bonna : In the first part with the tongue-in-cheek Paul Hindemith and some dazzling songs by Gustav Mahler, in the second part with pure romanticism: Briccialdi's quintet and the balmy airs breathing Les nuits d'ete by Hector Berlioz.

Wunderhorn

Old Federal Councilor

Since winning the prestigious Tchaikovsky Competition while still a student at the Juilliard School, cellist Zlatomir Fung has vaulted into the elite ranks of international soloists, cultivating “a rich, warm tone, impeccable intonation and thoughtful phrasing” (The Baltimore Sun) that he calls upon in the unusually fluid and sensitive First Cello Concerto by Saint-Saëns. 

Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4

Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall

The Music Center at Strathmore

Since winning the prestigious Tchaikovsky Competition while still a student at the Juilliard School, cellist Zlatomir Fung has vaulted into the elite ranks of international soloists, cultivating “a rich, warm tone, impeccable intonation and thoughtful phrasing” (The Baltimore Sun) that he calls upon in the unusually fluid and sensitive First Cello Concerto by Saint-Saëns. Conductor Ken-David Masur returns with Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony—a poignant meditation on fate—along with a touching tribute by the dean of living Japanese composers.

Bso: Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4

»The flute so gracefully captures the ears that it brings calm and peace to all emotions, right into the soul«. This quote from Plutarch builds a wonderful bridge to the opening of our concert – the spiritual flute concerto by the prominent Japanese composer Toshio Hosokawa. Premiered in 2022, the piece is about a fascinating ceremony. According to Hosokawa, the solo part represents »a shamanic person« who invokes the orchestra as »the world, the universe, nature« using breathing sounds to summon supernatural forces: »The breathing sounds echo through the flute just like the wind in nature and become the song that awakens the spirit.« Our solo flutist Daniela Koch assumes the role of the shaman in this ritualistic piece, about which Hosokawa noted that it was »also prayer music for the end of the pandemic, as it was composed during the Corona catastrophe.« This fits with something Bruckner said in 1874 shortly after completing the first version of his third symphony: »Because the present state of the world, spiritually speaking, is weakness, I resort to strength and compose powerful music.« Many of Bruckner's movements are symphonic canticles in a sublime style, moving through the struggles and trials of a soul seeking its way to salvation through pain and suffering. Since the premiere of his third symphony was a dreadful disaster for him, he revised it multiple times, feeling deeply depressed – and finally scored a success with the 1889 version. Bruckner said about the fluctuating moods of this symphonic cosmos: »That‘s just the way it is in life. The polka stands for the humour and cheerfulness of the world – the chorale for the sadness and pain in it.«

Kent Nagano conducts Hosokawa and Bruckner

Bamberg Concert Hall

Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony crowns an evening of music that speaks directly to the world around us, in the first London appearance by conductor Kahchun Wong.

Wong conducts Shostakovich

Barbican Centre

The Antwerp Symphony will pay tribute to the deep connection between nature and music under the baton of Jun Märkl. Vaughan Williams’s The lark ascending is an absolute masterpiece for violin and will be performed on this occasion by Elisabeth Competition laureate Akiko Suwanai. The winter splendour of Ysaÿes Chant d’hiver will be supplemented with the healing song of the nightingale in Stravinsky’s Le Chant du rossignol and the festive Italian magnificence of Respighi’s Pini di Roma. Cosmic force is the main thrust of Uzu, Toshio Hosokawa’s experiential work, which was inspired by traditional Japanese shô music. The orchestra is divided into several groups, both on and off stage, among the audience. That way the audience is surrounded by music: a memorable, immersive experience.

The Lark Ascending

Queen Elisabeth Hall

Immerse yourself in an exquisite chamber concert experience with the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, presenting "Pictures of Sounds: Music for Octet with pictures from Quint Buchholz." This unique event is set to take place on Saturday, 28th October 2023, at 8:00 pm in the majestic Munich Residence, Max Joseph Saal, and will have an additional performance on Sunday, 29th October 2023, at 6:00 pm at the Tutzing, Evangelische Akademie.

The evening's program is a celebration of classical music, featuring Franz Schubert's "4 Moments Musicaux, D 780," arranged for octet by Hans Abrahamsen, and "Octet in F Major, D 803." The concert will also showcase "Texture" by Toshio Hosokawa, a contemporary piece commissioned by the Philharmonisches Oktett Berlin in 2020. The performances will be further enhanced by projections of selected pictures by Quint Buchholz, whose dreamlike illustrations will open up additional associative spaces, creating a truly immersive experience.

The ensemble for this special concert includes talented musicians such as Michael Friedrich and Anne Schoenholtz on violin, Giovanni Menna on viola, Frederike Jehkul-Sadler on violoncello, José Sebastião Trigo on double bass, Bettina Faiss on clarinet, Susanne Sonntag on bassoon, and Ursula Kepser on horn.

This chamber concert is not just a musical event but a journey through the profound and personal chamber music utterances of Schubert, the contemporary textures of Hosokawa, and the visual artistry of Buchholz. It promises to be an unforgettable evening for classical music enthusiasts and art lovers alike.

Pictures of Sounds Music for Octet with pictures from Quint Buchholz

Munich Residence

Evangelische Akademie

Music that can provide stillness. It may sound contradictory, yet that is precisely what we want to do with our INKEER (CONTEMPLATION) concerts.

In a world that never stops and where we limp along from impulse to impulse, we all feel the need to stop every now and then. A concert is already an outstanding reflective moment but what if we enrich that experience further with mindfulness? On each occasion, we put forward an artist who, besides being an excellent performer, is also versed in meditation or yoga. The audience first takes part in a session before immersing yourself in the music.

Inkeer (Contemplation)

Risa Hokamura began the violin at the age of three, and at the age of 10 she began to capture top prizes in competitions in Japan. She first came to international attention upon winning the Silver Medal at the 2018 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, where she performed the Tchaikovsky Concerto with the Indianapolis Symphony conducted by Leonard Slatkin. Ms. Hokamura won First Prize in the 2018 Young Concert Artists International Auditions at the age of 17.

Young Concert Artists: Risa Hokamura, violin

Kaufman Music Center

Eco Ensemble, UC Berkeley’s acclaimed ensemble-in-residence, specializes in nuanced performances of music by living composers. Under the direction of new-music champion and faculty member David Milnes, this season the group showcases works by a selection of music department composers as well as Toshio Hosokawa, the 2023 distinguished Bloch Lecturer. The works on the program take their inspiration from a wide range of influences that include Beat poet William S. Burroughs (Ueno) and Filipino modernist José Garcia Villa (Regucera), as well as traditional Japanese art forms such as calligraphy and gagaku (Hosokawa). The concert also features the world premiere of a new composition by UC Berkeley professor Edmund Campion, director of the Center for New Music and Audio Technologies.

Eco Ensemble

University of California, Berkeley

Praised by the New York Times as a “dream team of local musicians who embody a high point in the Bay Area’s vibrant contemporary music scene,” UC Berkeley’s stellar ensemble-in-residence specializes in precise and passionate performances of works by living composers. The group is directed by new-music champion and music department faculty member David Milnes and comprises talented performers from across the region.  This season’s Cal Performances concert showcases the music of Toshio Hosokawa, among Japan’s pre-eminent living composers, who will be a guest of the music department in Fall 2022 as the distinguished Bloch Lecturer. The program—which features flute virtuoso Stacey Pelinka of the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble—reflects the composer’s interest in traditional Japanese arts such as calligraphy and gagaku as sources of musical inspiration.  “It’s difficult to imagine any group giving a better performance than that of the Eco Ensemble” (San Francisco Classical Voice).

Toshio Hosokawa

Events

Past events

Oct 17, 2026

Tangram: Rituals for a Changing World · Sheffield Theatres

May 19, 2026

Tangram: Divine Intimacies · London Symphony Orchestra

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