Suginami Chamber Music Festival — Direct Flight of Music from France — Evening Performance

Following last year’s highly acclaimed “Bedrich String Quartet: Direct Flight of Music from Paris,” which drew a large audience, Mion Japan will once again host a concert this summer featuring captivating artists from France. This time, the duo—comprising Vincent Puno (cl) and Aurélien Sabre (vc), along with Kaori Ohno (pf), a French artist of Japanese descent from Normandy; Aya Hasegawa (vn) from the Théâtre de l’Opéra de Tours in the Loire region; and Yuki Hasegawa (pf) from Japan.

In the evening performance, “German Romanticism and French Impressionism” (starting at 7:00 p.m.), the richly nuanced sounds of Beethoven, Brahms, and others who graced late 19th-century Germany will engage in a dialogue across the centuries with the luminous French music of Ravel, Milhaud, and others from the early 20th century. Last year, we featured the female composer Germaine Tailleferre; this year, we have included Lili Blanger in the evening performance.

The matinee performance, “Festival: Focusing on Composers from Normandy” (starting at 2:00 p.m.), will feature composers with ties to Normandy. The members joining us from France have performed in Normandy on numerous occasions; in particular, they have maintained a close relationship with the Normandy-based composer Marc Eschenne (b. 1933) and have introduced his works to audiences. Once again, we will be presenting two world premieres in Japan. We will also feature works by Satie, who is inextricably linked to Normandy; Fauré and Saint-Saëns, who spent their vacations and composed in Normandy; and Dupre, who was born in Rouen. You can look forward to a diverse program ranging from well-known pieces like “Gymnopédies” and “The Carnival of the Animals” to lesser-known masterpieces.

The program will also feature pieces specially arranged by the performers for this concert. As with last year’s event, the concert will include commentary in both French and Japanese, allowing you to enjoy the intimate atmosphere of a concert typically held in French churches or civic halls.