BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//PYVOBJECT//NONSGML Version 1//EN BEGIN:VEVENT UID:events.uid.1670@www.discovernikkei.org DTSTART:20090226T000000Z DTEND:20090226T000000Z DESCRIPTION:Elektra Women's Choir\nDiane Loomer\, C.M. & Morna Edmundson\nC 0-conductors\n\npresent\, from Tokyo\, Japan\,\n\n<strong>Brilliant Harmon y</strong>\nMr. Ko Matsushita\, conductor\n\nas part of <strong>Tapestry I nternational Celebration of Women's Choirs</strong>\n\n\nThursday\, Februa ry 26\, 2009 at 7:30 pm\nSpotlight: Brilliant Harmony\, from Tokyo\, Japa n\nRyerson United Church_2195 W 45th Ave.\,\nVancouver\, BC $26 Adults | $ 20 Seniors/Students\nTicketmaster.ca 604.280.3311\n\nBrilliant Harmony wil l be featured on Thursday February 26 (7:30 pm) in concert at Ryerson Unit ed Church (2195 W 45th Ave\, Vancouver). They will also perform a solo set on Feb 28 and Mar 1\, and sing in the combined finale of the festival on Mar 1. Full festival details may be found at <a href="http://www.elektra.c a"></a>elektra.ca or by calling the Elektra office 604.739.1255.\n\nBrilli ant Harmony is a women's choir based in Saitama Prefecture (Tokyo)\, and w as formed in 1988 by artistic director\, Ko Matsushita. In pursuit of new possibilities of women's choral music and profounder musical expressions\, the choir has been engaged in a wide variety of activities such as holdi ng annual concerts\, recording CD's and participating in international com petitions.\n\nIn 2002\, the choir was awarded the Gold and NHK (Japan Broa dcasting Corporation) prizes in the Private Division at the JCA National C horal Competition. This was followed by winning the Second Prize in Femal e Voice Category\, First Prize of Free Program Category and Public Prize a t Florilege Vocal de Tours in France in 2003. In the following year\, the choir was awarded the Grand Prize at the 36th annual Tolosa Choral Contest in Spain\, along with First Prize in the Polyphony Category and Folklore Category. In 2005 Brilliant Harmony was the first women's choir from Asia awarded the European Grand Prix Award. This prestigious award recognized t he first place wins in each of six major European competitions.\n\nThe Feb ruary 26 performance of Brilliant Harmony is part of the official 80th ann iversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Canada\, celebrating ei ghty years of partnership across the Pacific. This is Brilliant Harmony's first visit to North America.\n\n<strong>Mr. Ko Matsushita\, conductor</st rong>\nKo Matsushita was born and raised in Tokyo and graduated at the top of his class from the Kunitachi College of Music (Department of Compositi on)\, where he won the Arima Award upon graduation. He received his Master in Kodály Music Pedagogy from the Kodály Institute in Kecskemet\, Hunga ry\, and has studied under Yuzuru Shimaoka\, Koichi Uzaki\, Thomas Meyer-F iebig\, Mohay Miklo's for composing\, Remenyi Janos\, Erdei Péter for cho rus conducting\, Masamitsu Takahashi for orchestral conducting\, and Somor iai Paula for singing.\n\nHe energetically composes and arranges chorus pi eces for national audiences in Japan. Many of these works have been perfor med throughout Europe and Asia. He has also studied folk music\, resulting in works that have been inspired by this folkloric element.\n\n"Children' s Songs of Ki-no-Kuni" was composed based on “warabeuta” - an old chil dren's song from Wakayama prefecture - and was featured on broadcasts by t he television program World Modern Music in the former Yugoslavian Republi c (present day Serbia and Montenegro). This work has also been performed i n Estonia and by the Magyar Radio Children's Choir.\n\nMr. Matsushita has a keen interest in the discovery and performance of foreign works. He cond ucted the world premieres of two major works by the Hungarian composer\, G yorgy Orban\; Missa Nona (2000)\, and Missa No. 11 (2002).\n\nHe has writt en commissioned works for the Singapore Youth Choir and has been the guest conductor of the Formosa Singers in performance at the National Concert H all in Taipei\, Taiwan.\n\nHe is a jury Member of the Japan Choral Associa tion\, NHK (Japan Broadcasting Association) School Choir competition\, and the Composing Chorus Works Competition of Tokyo Cultural Hall. He is the author of a music textbook published by Kyoiku Publishing. Additionally\, he is an Executive Board Member of the Japan Choral Association and vice-p resident of the Tokyo Choral Association\, a member of the Japan Choral Di rectors Association\, The Japanese Society for the Rights of Authors\, Com posers and Publishers\, The Japan Kodály Society and the International Ko dály Society. Mr. Matsushita is also a representative of the Workshop of the Choral Expression.\n\nAs a life work\, he is studying a method for cre ating effective harmony based on his theme “A chorus practice that foste rs ears.” He teaches and lectures at choral workshops and seminars throu ghout Japan\, Taiwan\, and Singapore. This Mr Matsushita's first visit to North America.\n\n<strong>Tapestry International Celebration of Women's Ch oirs</strong> (Feb 28 - Mar 1)\nHosted by the renowned Elektra Women's Cho ir of Vancouver (Diane Loomer\, C.M. & Morna Edmundson\, co-conductors)\, this celebration brings choirs from Washington state\, Vancouver Island\, and Japan to perform for each other and to sing together. Participating ch oirs include Elektra Women's Choir (Vancouver)\, Balkan Babes (Vancouver I sland)\, The University Women's Choir of WWU (Bellingham\, WA)\, and Brill iant Harmony from Tokyo\, Japan.\n \nFull details of the festival may be f ound at <a href="http://www.elektra.ca">Elektra.ca</a>\n DTSTAMP:20240416T115743Z SUMMARY:Brilliant Harmony (Women's Choir) from Tokyo to Perform URL:/en/events/2009/02/26/brilliant-harmony/ END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR