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 Kazue Yanagida (日本語) - Honorary Patron and AJSW Representative in Japan, Kazue Yanagida is a Japanese violinist born in Tokyo. She began her studies with Noriko Miki at the age of five and soon went on to take part in masterclasses by Dr Shin-ichi Suzuki (the founder of the Suzuki Method) and William Primrose at the age of seven who praised her talent and to study with a prominent violinist Toshiya Eto and Takaya Urakawa. She moved to England in 1988 to study at the Royal Academy of Music where she graduated with First Class Distinction for the violin performance having won two first prizes of violin competitions at the RAM, Alfred J Waley Violin Prize and Winifred Small Solo Violin Prize. During her time at the RAM she was under the guidance of Howard Davis and Zakher Bron and the Amadeus Quartet for chamber music. She has participated in many masterclasses including by Ruggiero Ricci, Ida Haendel and Anne-Sophie Mutter and was also a prizewinner of the Anglo-Czechoslovak Music Trust. She was given the honor of a loan of a prestigious Grancino violin from the RAM. Having studied further for four years with Yfrah Neaman at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where she gained a Diploma of Advanced Instrumental Studies, she has given many concerts in the UK and abroad and made several concerto appearances. She has played as sub-principal in the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and worked with Sir Colin Davis, Tadaaki Otaka, Mark Wigglesworth, Alfred Brendel, Stephen Kovacevich and Freddy Kempf at venues such as the Barbican Hall and the Queen Elizabeth Hall. She has also lead the Cosmos Ensemble that gave a world premiere performance of Dai Fujikura’s “Shadow’s Light”. Her concert with pianist Alan Brown in October 2010 at the St Dunstan in-the-West church was broadcast by TV Shizuoka Japanese TV station in Shizuoka, Japan. She has been the music director of Anglo Japanese Society of Wessex Chamber Music Ensemble from 2011 to 2013 and lead the ensemble for the 15th anniversary concert at the St. Georges, Bristol in 2011 and the concert at the St. James’s, Piccadilly in 2013. She went back to Japan in 2013 and gave a recital with pianist Akiko Kawakami in 2014 in Shizuoka, Japan. She was made an Honorary Patron of the AJSW in 2017. Kazue Lives in Chiba, Japan (Click to show map).
In Concert Kazue Yanagida with Akiko Murakami
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.jpeg) Aisa Ijiri - Following her sensational debuts at the Tokyo Opera City (2010) and the Carnegie Hall, New York (2017), Aisa Ijiri has established herself as one of the award-winning concert pianists and has been described as, “a special talent whose European sophistication, fierce passion and poetic sentiment create an artistic atmosphere”-Record Geijutsu, Tokyo. Born in Japan, Aisa made her European debut at the age of 15 as a concerto soloist at the Philharmonic Hall, Warsaw and as a recitalist at the Konserthuset, Stockholm. Since then, her performance career has taken her to the U.S.A, the U.K, Korea, China and all over Europe. Aisa has given regular piano solo and chamber music concerts at many prestigious venues including Wigmore Hall (London), Southbank Centre, Sadler’s Wells Theatre, Cadogan Hall, Fairfield Halls, St. John’s Smith Square, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, St. George’s Bristol, Kioi Hall (Tokyo), Izumi Hall (Osaka) and at international music festivals including Wimbledon International Music Festival, Three Choirs Festival, Lichfield Festival, and the Chopin Festival in Duzniki-Zdroj. Her concerts have been broadcast on Classic FM, BBC1 Television, BBC Radio 3, Radio Television of Serbia(RTS), Radio Beograd, N1 TV and CNN Worldwide. In 2009 Aisa was awarded a “Cultural Encouragement Award” by the Mayor of Shiga in Japan as the youngest ever winner. As a soloist, Aisa has performed piano concertos with the Osaka Century Symphony Orchestra (Conductor: Kentaro KawasandKen Hsieh), Orchestra Musica Celeste (Conductor: Yasuo Shinozaki), Orion Orchestra (Conductor: Toby Purser), Bushey Symphony Orchestra (Conductor: George Vass), Salonorchester Alt Wien (Conductor:Udo Zwölfer) among others. In 2019, she gave an acclaimed performance of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.5 'Emperor' with the Kansai Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Sachio Fujioka. Aisa released her debut album “Pilgrimage” (2011) and second album “Ailes d’amour” (2016) on N.A.T Records. Two albums, “SAKURA” (2014) and “PRELUDES” (2015), for which the piano solo music was composed for her by Llywelyn ap Myrddin, were released on WW Records in London and chosen for a highlight feature on BBC Radio 3. In 2019, Aisa played the world premiere of a new single ‘Until We Meet Again’ written by Hollywood film composer Martin Tillman; a recording of the performance with Aisa as the soloist with the Prague Symphonic Ensemble was released in 2020. In a same year, a piano solo piece ‘Aisa : Sand, Silk and Love’, was dedicated to her by Schott Music composer Melanie Spanswick and was published by Schott Music in the Schott Edition Series. Aisa is an official recording artist for ‘SPIRIO’ by Steinway & Sons. Aisa has become a cover artist and has featured in many international television series, feature films and publications such as CNN Style, Steinway & Sons Film, Steinway &Sons Magazine, Lark Music, Pianist Magazine, Diplomany & CommenceandUN WomenOpinion Leader among others. The feature film “AISA –Chapter 1 : Sonetto 104 del Petrarca”, directed by Marco della Fonte, produced by Lost Pictures Ltd which Aisa played the starring role of, won the Awardat the Hollywood Boulevard Film Festival 2020, given the quote; ‘creativity, excellence and passion the Hollywood Boulevard celebrates’. Aisa is a graduate of the Kungliga Musikhögskolan, Stockholm (Bachelor’s Degree), Guildhall School of Music & Drama (Master’s Degree) and the Royal College of Music, London (Artist Diploma)with distinction. In 2018, she was appointed Honorary Representative for the Royal College of Music, London. Aisa is an official Steinway Artist and the Artistic Director of the Tokyo International Piano Association (Japan) and the Montecatini Piano Festival (Italy). Some videos and informatoin to introduce Aisa:
Tokyo International Piano Association
Montecatini Piano Festival
The Film ‘AISA’
Chopin 'Raindrops' Aisa Ijiri
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 Jeff Manookian — A recipient of a commission from the Barlow Endowment for Music Composition at Brigham Young University to compose a concerto for flute and orchestra to be premiered by the Salt Lake Symphony, Jeff Manookian has garnered numerous accolades for his original works. The Frederick Delius Competition conferred its Grand Prize on Manookian's Fantasy and Toccata for Violin and Piano and the chamber music first prize for his Sonata for Flute and Piano. His compositions have figured numerous times on the Frederick Delius Music Festival in Jacksonville, Florida. Other top prizes have been awarded to Manookian's works, including the Grand Prize and multiple first places in the Composers Guild International Composition Competition. Several of Manookian's compositions are in print with Warner Brothers Publications, Inc. Among the pieces published by Warner Brothers is Manookian's Twelve Etudes for the Intermediate Pianist-a commission from the Utah Music Teachers Association. Additional Manookian works have been published by Feature Films for Families and Windsor Editions. Subsequent composition commissions have come from the Abramyan String Quartet, Utah Flute Association, Utah Centennial Commission, Episcopal Diocese of Utah, Cathedral of the Madeline, Utah Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, Westminster College, and Sandy City, Utah for the grand opening of its new amphitheatre. Manookian's music has been performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and broadcast live over the internet. Ensembles such as the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra (in Boston's Symphony Hall and in Prague), Pasadena Symphony, Fresno Philharmonic, Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra, Utah Symphony, University Musical Society of Las Vegas, the America West Symphony, Salt Lake Symphony, Westminster Chamber Orchestra, Intermountain Classical Orchestra, Gloriana Choir, Contemporary Music Consortium, Monticello Medici Chamber Ensemble (in Pasadena, California) and numerous choirs and instrumental soloists have included Manookian's works on their concert rosters. Manookian's Symphony of Tears for the mezzo-soprano, boy soprano, choir and orchestra, a commemorative oratorio of the 1915 American Genocide, received its premiere by the Oratorio Society of Utah as the opening concert of the 2000 Madeline Festival for the Arts and Humanities. As a pianist, Manookian has performed on national television in the Philippines, Argentina, Brazil, Peru', and Bolivia. In the United States, his credits include guest appearances on the Liberace Show, Mike Douglas Show, Joe Franklin Show and the Ted Mack Amateur Hour. Manookian has appeared as concerto soloist with the Philippines Philharmonic, Orquesta Sinfo'nica de Bolivia, South Coast Symphony (California), Peninsula Symphony (California), Oakland Youth Symphony (California), Northridge Academy Orchestra (California), Butte Symphony (Montana), Utah Symphony, Salt Lake Philharmonic, Utah Youth Symphony, American West Symphony, and the Westminster Chamber Orchestra. Manookian was the soloist in Salt Lake City's Abravanel Hall with the International Classical Orchestra performing the complete works for piano and orchestra by George Gershwin. This concert was rebroadcast on National Public Radio. Other major performances include: New York's Merkin Hall as winner of the Aram Kahachaturian International Piano Competition, Millenium Stage at the Kennedy Center, Primeira Semana de Mu'sica das Ame'ricas in Sao Paulo, Brazil; Arts on the Green in Costa Mesa, California; and the Park City International Music Festival. Manookian made his conducting debut at 16. He has since served as music director of the Utah Youth Symphony, Westminster Chamber Orchestra, and International Classical Orchestra. He has guest conducted the Pasadena Symphony, University Musical Society of Las Vegas, the University of Utah SummerArts Orchestra, the Salt Lake Symphony, the America West Symphony, Murray Symphony and the Oratorio Society of Utah. Jeff Manookian is the classical music critic for the Salt Lake Tribune. Jeff Manookian is currently in Salt Lake City, Utah where he is head of the Piano and Composition departments at the Utah Conservatory.
JEFF MANOOKIAN Fantastic Fanfares
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 George Logan (Dr Evadne Hinge) — Hon Patron George Logan was the RAM trained piano playing, comedy / singing foil Dr Evadne Hinge to the comedy and singing partner Dame Hilda Bracket (Patrick Fyffe) who is sadly no longer with us. But the memory of the 'Dear Ladies' lives on not least with a little venture of George's (sorry! Dr Hinge) somewhere near Limoges, France. As Dame Hilda might say "Yeees...Evadne always had a penchant for frog's legs.
Hinge and Bracket - The Royal Variety Performance 1979
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 Michael Soumei Coxall — Hon Patron Michael Soumei Coxall studied shakuhachi in Japan for many years under the legendary Kinko-ryu master and Living Cultural Treasure, the late Yamaguchi Goro, and still continues his studies on frequent visits to Japan with Mizuno Kohmei and Sugawara Kuniyoshi. Michael was awarded his shakuhachi "Master's Licence" in 2007 and the professional name "Soumei". Michael has taught full time at SOAS, University of London for 25 years and teaches and performs traditional solo honkyoku, sankyoku ensemble and shinkyoku music. He has performed widely in the UK with the Anglo-Japanese Collective and is the founder member of the "London Hogaku Ensemble" and "Hibiki", has featured in numerous solo and ensemble performances and as an accompanist in recitals with visiting traditional Japanese performers in the UK. Michael was the co-organiser of the European Shakuhachi Summer Schools with Koto and Shamisen held in London in 2006, 2007, 2011 and2013 and is also a member of the Chikumeishakai.
The Anglo-Japanese Collective - Dec 9, 2011 - St Dunstan's in the West, London
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Unincorporated Association
An Unincorporated Association is a membership organisation. It can be whatever its members want it to be, and carry out whatever activity you choose. It is the easiest, quickest and cheapest way for a group to set itself up. There is no need even to keep a membership list - anyone who is entitled by your rules to be a member can simply turn up and take part. It is ideal for many small groups, especially those without staff or premises. A large number of groups fall into this category (sometimes without knowing it).
You do not have to seek approval of any kind before setting up and you are free to draw up your own democratic constitution setting out the rules under which your group will be run. You do not have to register with any regulatory body, though if your group has charitable aims and an income above £5,000 per year.
Source www.resourcecentre.org.uk
