"Intelligent, keen stylistic, convincing musicality" (conductor Sir John Eliot Gardiner), "delicate and delicate tone reminiscent of the sound of silk rubbing" (musical friend magazine), "dignity High and dignified music. It's like listening to a prewar master's performance. "(Mostly Classic magazine).Performed in major halls such as England, East and West Europe, North and South America, Georgia, Armenia, and Kazakhstan.Since 1997, Japan has been holding a recital series of unique programs every fall.
In addition to winning the Long-Thibaud International Competition and the Japan International Music Competition, he has received various awards such as the Bear Violin Award from the Royal Academy of Music, and has been awarded the Associate title (ARAM) for his contribution to the British music world.After that, he taught the younger generation at the Conservatory and the Birmingham Conservatory. In 2003, he was honored to perform in front of Their Majesties.
In recent years, he has been regularly invited by music festivals such as IMS Prochacove (UK) and Amireshibi (Georgia), and holds violin and chamber music classes every year at the Montecito Summer International Music Festival (Los Angeles).
Active in the Age of Enlightenment (OAE), Revolutione et Romantic, and other British and German period instrument orchestras, the Cambridge King's College Choir / OAE's Fauré's Requiem CD Violin. There are also many recordings and media broadcasts such as solos.He plays as a principal player in the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Hallé Orchestra.
Activities that transcend the boundaries of classics include collaborations with Akikazu Nakamura (shakuhachi) and Esen Kanamori (calligrapher), a soundness festival of "music = meditation = healing" in the UK, and creative concerts with elementary school students. We are also actively engaged in music healing activities at facilities and hospitals for children with disabilities around the world.
Studied violin under Atsuko Kawada, Keiichiro Ishii, Shizuko Ishii, Yoshio Unno, Kazuki Sawa, Chikashi Tanaka, Edward Schmider, and Eric Grunberg.Learned from Ivry Gitlis, Ruggiero Ricci, Ida Haendel, Herman Krebbers, Abram Stern and Aaron Rosand.She studied chamber music under Amadeus String Quartet member Ferrantz Radsch.
He moved to Los Angeles, USA in September 2015 and is currently teaching violin, viola and chamber music at Loyola Marimont University and La Sierra University.
www.crimsonglory.jp (Sun) www.kenaiso.net (English)
--Then, I would like to ask you from your biography so far.
Aiso: I'm in the United States now, but I lived in the UK for 23 years until the year before last.I went to Geidai from Geiko, and in England I was doing orchestras of old musical instruments and chamber music for almost 20 years.The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, John Eliot Gardiner's Orchestral Revolutionel et Romantic, and the classical and romantic repertoire with catgut strings.You've done a lot of operas, from Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven's symphonies to Marler and Debussy.The rest is chamber music and recitals on modern violins.Everything has come relatively widely.Although I have been in the UK for a long time, I have been teaching at two universities in Los Angeles, USA since two years ago.The reason why I studied abroad in Los Angeles was Los Angeles.I studied abroad at the University of Southern California (USC) for a year in the middle of the art university, and then went to Dallas, Texas, so I was studying abroad in the United States for a total of three years.That's why I've had friends here since that time, and I knew the land of Los Angeles, and that's why I'm here now.
--Are there any good points, bad points, or differences in playing music in the United States and the United Kingdom?
Aiso: After all, it's completely different.Europe has a long history, and classical music was born and raised, so for example, the streets and buildings from that time still remain, and there are familiar connections with modern people.In particular, people in Western Europe can listen to such historical background while feeling it, even if they do not have specialized knowledge.There are many people who are listening while thinking about the intellectual things, knowing the composition of the song and the process of composition.Compared to that, the United States is a new country, and especially Los Angeles is a city of physical beauty, so it is good to play clearly with a loud sound.There are many people who are very enthusiastic about research and are also serious about music, but the fact that everyday life is not directly linked to the history and culture of classical music is a subtlety that European musicians create. There is no such thing as "umami" in taste. (By the way, the word Umami has come to be heard a lot in Europe and the United States recently.) Well, the same thing can be said for Europeans today.Still, America has great technology, and music remains at the heart of the individual musician's life.That kind of thing is similar to Japan.However, in the case of Japan, because it is a country with an old culture, the feeling of loving and caring for the old ones seems to be similar to that of Europe.America is a new and vibrant country, so even though some people have a longing for the old, it's not theirs.
--sensei spent his school days in the United States and still teaches at American universities. Is there a lot of American students?Or are there quite a few foreigners?
Aiso: At the university I'm teaching now, except for a few Chinese and Filipinos, they are white Americans and Asians born in the United States.Since it is a music department of an integrated university, few people become professional musicians.
--Then, what kind of path will you take after graduation?
Aiso: It's a little unclear because it's only a short time since I came here (!), But the best way to do it is to acquire the culture of music and move on to the path of making the most of it in the general public.In addition to teaching children, I think it can be something like music management or social work, or music therapy.There is a way to live with music without becoming a performer.Even for jobs that aren't related to music, I think it's a success if learning music enriches your life, and that's good for everyone.
--By the way, I think that many Japanese people go to Europe to study classical music, but if there are any good points about going to the United States, please let us know.
Aiso: Is that positive after all?I think it's good to work hard, not embarrassing, so that can produce good results.And in general, American universities are economically wealthy, so they have facilities such as IT, libraries, and halls.That's a big difference from Europe.It is also attractive that there are many very good performers, sensei, who have been exiled from the former Soviet Union to the United States.
--Then, for example, if you want to choose a study abroad destination based on sensei, is it okay to think that the United States is one of the best options?
Aiso: Yes.exactly.
--Is that so.I would like to change the story a little and ask about the Montecito Music Festival, where sensei is the instructor, but I would like you to explain a little about what kind of class it is.
Aiso: I have been a lecturer since the first lecture 10 years ago, but at that time I think that there were only 1 to 3 students for two weeks with only stringed instruments and piano.I wonder if there will be about 5 to 5 students including vocal music and woodwind instruments now.In recent years, in a period of less than 2 weeks, there are 20 individual practical lessons and 13 chamber music lessons, so I usually take lessons twice a week at a pace of about 9 times each.Students have the opportunity to perform at concerts.Good people are also selected for chamber music concerts with instructors.In addition, students selected by audition will be able to play in the master class of front-line guest artists.That face is pretty good.The original purpose of the Montecito Festival was to call on legendary masters who are retiring from active duty to convey the spirit of the old age to young people today, so if it was a violin, Ruggiero Ricci, Ivry We've brought in some of the more unusual and unusual legends of the early XNUMXth century, such as Gitlis, Ida Haendel, and Aaron Rosand.If it was a cello, Janos Starker also came.Leon Fleisher came to the piano soon, but it was canceled just before for health reasons.Such people have died or are no longer able to come because of their old age.Recently, Lynn Harrell on the cello, Glen Dictrov, a former New York Philharmonic concertmaster, Martin Beaver, a former Tokyo Quartet violin, and Jean-Yves Tibote on the piano, have been invited as guest artists. You are there.In addition, the faces of the instructors who are the core of the music festival are also very nice.Many teach at prestigious American conservatory.The nice thing about this music festival is that it's relatively friendly.Also, the participation age group is from XNUMX years old in the application guidelines, but in reality it is from about XNUMX years old.
--So you can participate from a relatively young age.
Aiso: That's right.There are sometimes very good 9-year-olds in the West.Such children can participate.There are children, ordinary children in elementary, junior high and high school, and college students and graduate students, and I think the oldest will be in their late 20s.It's quite wide.Besides, there are middle-aged and middle-aged teachers and guest artists, and it feels like a family in a sense.
--So, the atmosphere of the class is relatively good, and it feels calm, and are you all getting along well?
Aiso: That's how it feels.
--It will be a wonderful class if it is recognized in Japan a little more.
Aiso: I hope that happens.After all, I think it is an important experience to go out of Japan even for a short period of time while you are young and rediscover yourself as a human being in an extraordinary environment as a musician.This music festival lasts less than three weeks, so I think it's really reasonably long.Some people are extremely good, but those who aren't are not under too much pressure, and I think they can study at their own pace.
--It's a class where you can learn what suits each participant.
Aiso: That's right.If it is a class only for very good people, people who are not will not be able to participate, and even if they can participate, I think they will feel miserable.Of course, it's basically a serious class, so everyone is aiming to be a professional, but I think it's a festival that supports lessons that suit each level.
--You mentioned that many students aren't going abroad now, but apart from the lectures, what are the secrets and conditions for success as a professional musician overseas or in the United States? If you have any ideas, please let me know.
Aiso: First of all, you have to be successful.Needless to say.And I have to be able to speak.
--Especially for orchestral instrument people and opera singers, that is very important.
Aiso: In particular, stringed instruments are instruments that not only play alone but also ensemble, so it is also necessary to convey your musical views to others in words.You can't acquire that language ability until you study abroad here for many years.
--sensei has been in the United States and the United Kingdom for a long time, but have you been fluent in English since you moved to the United States and the United Kingdom?
Aiso: No, that's not the case.
--Did you have a hard time?
Aiso: That's right.I liked the language, but of course I was inconvenienced when I first came to the United States as a third year student at Tokyo University of the Arts.In particular, the English spoken by the locals was so fast that I often didn't understand it.On the contrary, it is much easier to understand the traumatic English between foreigners.Talking with each other's hardships can give you a sense of intimacy.Even so, when I came here, I decided first and tried as much as possible to live in English only. After 6 months, the unnatural feeling disappeared, and after 10 months, I was able to do it without any inconvenience.To deepen your vocabulary and become truly free, you have to spend years after that.Even if you live in a foreign country, if you are only among Japanese people, you will not be able to speak even after 20 to XNUMX years.
--Is it important to actively enter the circle of local people?
Aiso: That's right.Even if it's hard at first, I think it's important because it's studying.
--Are there any other secrets to playing an active role overseas?
Aiso: You have to be strong.It would be easier if I had the ability to adapt to various scenes.Food, words, time difference.Keeping your body in good condition.The rest is relationships and the ability to make friends.If you stay alone, you can't become a professional.Except for a handful of geniuses, of course.Especially for those who play stringed instruments, they have to collaborate in orchestra and chamber music, so I think it's easy to call them a personality that people like.Even if you have the same ability, if you are difficult, you will not have a chance.This is natural.
--In that respect, going abroad for a class is a great learning experience, isn't it?
Aiso: Of course, even if you go out suddenly, you cannot become a professional.Even if you suddenly take a hot bath, you will die from a heart attack, so I think it's a good idea to have fun and gradually get used to it in a slightly lukewarm place.If it's your first experience, I think it's a scale from your eyes just to go abroad.I feel that there is something like this.And the good thing about America compared to Europe is that everyone is straight and open.There is an atmosphere that is difficult to enter in Europe, and it seems that it takes a year to get in, especially in the United Kingdom, but that is rare in the United States.
--Compared to when sensei was studying abroad, it's easier to get Asian and Japanese ingredients anywhere in the world.
Aiso: That's right.It's very easy to get in Los Angeles.This is because immigrant Japanese and people from Asian countries have lived for generations.Everyday ingredients are as good as Japanese supermarkets.
--Sensei has a career in the United States and the United Kingdom, but please tell us your musical dreams for the future.
Aiso: That's right.I go to Japan for recitals every year, and I would like to continue my solo, chamber music, and orchestra performance activities.At the same time, I am very interested in the healing and healing effects of music.I think it's especially necessary for us today, and I think it's a very strong tool that musicians have.That's why I go to hospitals, elderly homes, children with autism, people who have difficulty communicating with people, and communicate with each other by sound without using words, so that we can resonate with each other. doing.I hope that I can expand it further and engage in such activities with the students I am teaching now.By doing so, I think that classical musicians can play an important role in interacting with and connecting with the general public, without being bound by the framework of classical music.
--It means connecting people with the power of music.Now, the most difficult question is, what exactly is classical music?
Aiso: After all, this is a collection of European culture, isn't it?If you just resonate with people with sound or music, you don't have to be classical music.This can be pop music or folk music.The interesting thing about classical music is that over the centuries, what European musicians have made has changed steadily.For example, Beethoven started a music revolution by saying "Chiga Uh!", Which became a new standard and changed again.It's a collection of cultures that people have created over the centuries. In the XNUMXth century, oriental hobbies began to grow, and the tonality that was the foundation was broken. Now, composers from various countries are making music with the flow of classical music.When you say classical music, does it include that kind of thing?Is there something like the definition of classical music?
--Maybe everyone imagines music like so-called European Bach or Beethoven. It's the history of Europe as sensei said.
Aiso: That's right.It's the culmination of European history and culture, isn't it?
--Lastly, please give some advice to readers who want to study abroad.
Aiso: First of all, don't be afraid to make mistakes.
--Have you experienced a lot of mistakes and failures in sensei?
Aiso: I think there is probably.But I try to forget about that as much as possible. .. ..
--That may be the most important thing.
Aiso: If you're afraid of making mistakes, you'll have to step on your feet and you won't be able to move forward.Also, if you don't have a curiosity about something you don't know or something new, you won't be able to move forward.I don't think there is any mistake in the end.At that time, even if I feel like a mistake, I don't know what will come after that.For example, you can think that my life failed there because I failed to take the exam and couldn't enter university.But I didn't get it, so I got a job at that time, and there are various possibilities such as success from there.There is no mistake in life, and I don't think it's irreparable even if you think you've failed.For example, I'm a musician and I've lost my fingers, which is a big deal, but I don't think that's the end.Beethoven also lost his hearing.Then you wrote a great work, didn't you?Don't worry too much.After that, I think that if you listen to your intuition more honestly and live by relying on your intuition, the road will open up naturally.Not being afraid of failure is also familiar to the language.For example, Seiji Ozawa seems to be poor at English (excuse me!), But he still has a lot to say, so he was able to lead people all over the world through nature.That kind of spirit is important.
--But that is the most important thing, and after taking a step without fear of failure, something new world is waiting for you.
Aiso: That's right.The world one step ahead is definitely different from the world one step ahead, so I think it's okay to take one step at a time.
--thank you.
Book a Counseling