DAI FUJIKURA
Although Dai Fujikura was born in Osaka, he has now spent more than 20 years in the UK where he studied composition with Edwin Roxburgh, Daryl Runswick and George Benjamin. During the last decade he has been the recipient of numerous prizes, including the Huddersfield Festival Young Composers Award and a Royal Philharmonic Society Award in UK, Internationaler Wiener Composition Prize, the Paul Hindemith Prize in Austria and Germany respectively and both the OTAKA and Akutagawa awards in 2009.
A quick glance at his list of commissions and performances reveals he is fast becoming a truly international composer. His music is not only performed in the country of his birth or his adopted home, but is now performed in venues as geographically diverse as Caracas and Oslo, Venice and Schleswig-Holstein, Lucerne and Paris.
In his native Japan he has been accorded the special honour of a portrait concert in Suntory Hall in October 2012. In London where he chooses to live with his wife and family, he has now received two BBC Proms commissions, his Double Bass Concerto was recently premiered by the London Sinfonietta and in 2013 the BBC Symphony Orchestra will give the UK premiere of ‘Atom’ as part of the Total Immersion: Sounds from Japan.
The French music world too has taken him to its hearts with numerous commissions, culminating in his first opera – an artistic collaboration with Saburo Teshigawara, which will be co-produced by Theatre des Champs Elysées, Lausanne and Lille. In Germany the European premiere of ‘Tocar y Luchar,’ the world premiere of which was given in Venezuela by Gustavo Dudamel and the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra, was given at the Ultraschall Festival in Berlin. His next German commission is ‘Grasping’ for the Munich Chamber Orchestra which will be premiered in Korea before being brought back to Munich. Switzerland has featured his music at the Lucerne Festival, Austria at the Klangspuren Festival and Norway at the Punkt Festival and a commission in 2013 from the Oslo Sinfonietta.
Conductors with whom he has worked include Pierre Boulez, Peter Eötvös, Jonathan Nott, Gustavo Dudamel, the newly-appointed conductor of the Suisse Romande, Kazuki Yamada and Alexander Liebreich. His compositions are increasingly the product of international co-commissions. In 2012/13 the Seattle and Bamberg Symphony will each give continental premieres of ‘Mina’ for wind a percussion soloists and orchestra and the Asian premiere is currently being negotiated. In 2011/12 the Arditti Quartet performed ‘flare’ in collaborating venues in London, Edinburgh and Tokyo. His opera, which is based on Stanislaw Lem’s novel, Solaris, will be co-produced in both France and Switzerland.
In 2012 NMC released the first disc devoted exclusively to his music, "secret forest", and in summer 2013, another album of his works is planned to be released on the KAIROS label, performed by I.C.E. Dai Fujikura is published by G Ricordi & Co, Munich – part of the Universal Music Publishing Classical.
WORKS
ORCHESTRA
Atom (2009) 14’
For orchestra
Commissioned and premièred by Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, conducted by
Tatsuya Shimono, Suntory Hall Tokyo, 7th April 2009.
3(1=picc;2fl(picc);3=afl).3(2=obda;3=ca).3(1=Ebcl;3=bcl).3(3=cbsn). / 4.3(1=picctpt).3.1. / timp.3perc. / str.
Ampere (2008) 22'
Solo piano & symphony orchestra
Commissioned by the Philharmonia Orchestra, UK & Nagoya Philharmonic
premiered by the Philharmonia, Noriko Ogawa (piano), conducted by Martyn Brabbins, Queen Elizabeth Hall, London 03.02.09
Crushing Twister (2006) 8'
2222 / 4320 / 3 perc. / strings
Commissioned by the BBC and premiered by the BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Charles Hazelwood at the BBC Proms, Royal Albert Hall, London, 28.08.06
Secret Forest (2008) 13'
1,1,1,1/2,1,1,0/ str: 4221
Commissioned by Kioi Hall and Izumi Hall, Tokyo
Premiered Kioi Hall, Tokyo, 05.11.08
Swarming Essence (2007) 16'
2232 / 4220 / 4perc / strings and electronics
commissioned by Radio France and IRCAM
premiered by Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France + IRCAM (Manuel Poletti)
conducted by Reinbert de Leeuw, Paris 09.06.07
Stream State (2005) 12'
3332 / 4331 / harp. pf. 3 perc. / strings
Commissioned by the Lucerne Festival, premiered by the Lucerne Festival Academy Orchestra, conducted by Pierre Boulez, Lucerne, 09.09.05
Vast Ocean (2005) 20'
Solo trombone + 2222 / 2200 / pf. 2 perc. / strings with live electronics
Commissioned by SWR for Donaueschinger Musiktage, premiered by the Hilversum Radio Orchestra and Experimentalstudio Heinrich-Strobel-Stiftung, conducted by Peter Eötvös at Donaueschinger Musiktage, Germany, 15.10.05
ENSEMBLE / CHAMBER
abandoned time (2004 rev. 2006)
solo electric guitar + fl. cl. / pf. perc. / vln. vla. vc. db.
Commissioned by Kanazawa arts foundation for Ensemble Nomad
Premiered by Ensemble Nomad, conducted by Hiroaki Takaha, Yokohama, Japan, 2004.
Revised version premiered by I.C.E., conducted by Rei Hotoda, Chicago, USA, May 2006.
Another Place (2005) 10'
string quartet
Royal Philharmonic Society Composition Prize commission, premiered by the Maggini Quartet, Cheltenham Music Festival, UK, 15.07.05
Be II (2005) 12'
percussion quartet (Developed from the solo percussion work Be)
Premiered by Slagwerkgroep Den Haag, Gaudeamus Music Week, Netherlands, 04.09.06
Blue Sky Falling (2001) 9'
afl. cl. / tpt. / vc. / db. / live electronics
Commissioned and premiered by the London Sinfonietta, conducted by Martyn Brabbins, QEH, London, 27.04.01
Breathless (2004) 1'
vln. toy piano
Premiered by I.C.E. Chicago, May 2004
Breathing Tides (2010) 5’
Sho. Oboe
Broken Shackle (2001) 8'
bcl. accordion
Commissioned and premiered by Muta, Japan Festival 2000/01, London, Winter 2001
Clari4nics (2000) 10'
2 cl. 2 bcl.
Co-Commissioned by South East Music Schemes, the Chinook Clarinet Quartet and St. Mary-in-the-castle. Premiered by the Chinook Clarinet Quartet, UK, Summer 2000
Code 80 (2005) 4'
1 fl./picc. 1 ob. 1 cl. 1 bsn. / 1 horn. 1tpt. 1 trmb. / 2 perc. 1pf. / 2 vln. 1 vla. 1 vc. 1 db.
Commissioned and premiered by the Ensemble InterContemporain for Pierre Boulez's 80th birthday concert, conducted by Jean Deroyer, Paris, 13.02.05
Cutting Sky (2006) 4'
koto. vla
Commissioned and premiered by OKEANOS at City of London Festival, 07.07.06
Deconstructing Franz (2006 rec. 2007) 4'
String quartet inspired by Schubert's string quartet in D minor "Death and the Maiden"
Commissioned by the Wigmore Hall
Premiered San Lorenzo del Escorial, Madrid 14.07.07
Fifth Station (2003-2004) 15'
1 afl. 1 bcl. / 1 tpt. 1 horn. 1 tmb. / 2 vln. 1 vla. 1 vc. 1 db.
Commissioned and premiered by the London Sinfonietta, conducted by Martyn Brabbins, QEH, London, 14.02.04 Frozen Heat for 13 Musicians (1998) 6'
pic. Ssax. Tsax. Bsax. / 1 hn. 3tpt. 2trb. 1 Btrb. / pf. db
Premiered by the Orkest de Volharding, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, UK, November 1998
Frozen Heat (2008) 6’
For 13 musicians
1(1=picc).0.0.ssax.tsax.bsax.0. / 1.3.3.0. / pf. / db
Locked Voices (2004) 4'
2 hp.
Premiered by Double Action, London, January 2004
Okeanos Breeze (2001) 10'
sho. koto. ob. cl. vla
Commissioned and premiered by OKEANOS, Manchester, 2001
Phantom Pulse (2006) 20'
12 perc.
Commissioned by the Lucerne Festival and performed by the Lucerne Percussion Group, conducted by Michael Cerutti, 11.09.06
Reach Out (2002) 10'
saxophone quartet (sopranino/soprano. soprano/alto. soprano/tenor. soprano/baritone)
Co-Commissioned by the Apollo Saxophone Quartet and the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival. Premiered Huddersfield, UK, November 2002
Time unlocked (2007) 11'
for ob, cl, bn, pf, vln, vla
commissioned and premiered by Ensemble InterContemporain, Paris 05.04.07
Touch of Breeze (2004) 1'
vla. cl. and sho
Commissioned and premiered by OKEANOS, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, UK, November 2004
Vanishing Point (2004, revised 2006) 10'
1 fl. 1 ob. 1 cl. 1 bsn. / 1 horn. 1tpt. 1 trmb. / 2 perc. 1pf. 1 hp. / 2 vln. 1vla. 1 vc. 1 db.
Commissioned and premiered by Ensemble Modern, conducted by Franck Ollu, Frankfurt, 05.10.04. Revised version premiered by Ensemble InterContemporain, conducted by Jonathan Nott, Paris, 08.06.06
The Voice (2007) 10'
Bn + Vc
Commissioned by Pascal Gallois
Wave Embraced (2006) 18'
solo horn + fl. ob. bcl. bsn. trp. trb. 2perc. pf. 2vln. vla. vc. db.
commissioned by BIT20
Deconstructing Franz (2006 rec. 2007) 4'
String quartet inspired by Schubert's string quartet in D minor "Death and the Maiden"
Commissioned by the Wigmore Hall
Premiered San Lorenzo del Escorial, Madrid 14.07.07
VOCAL WORKS
Accompanying Franz (2007) 5’ (corrected 3.2.08)
Mezzo-soprano (text: Harry Ross)
Inspired by Schubert's lieder "Lindenbaum" and “Ständchen”
Commissioned by La SAEML La Folle Journée
First performance: February 1, 2008 at Cité des Congrès, by Lore Lixenberg
as I am (2007) 20'
solo voice + large ensemble (text by Harry Ross)
Commissioned by Ensemble InterContemporain, France
Premiere: April 2008, Ensemble InterContemporain, cond. Susanna Malkki, Lore Lixenburg (mezzo), Cite de la Musique, Paris
But, I fly (2005) 10'
12 voices (3333) (text by Harry Ross)
Commissioned and premiered by Vox Humana, Tokyo Bunka-Kaikan, 20.11.05
Lake Side (2008) 3'
Sop. mezzo-sop. (text by Harry Ross)
Also sop, sop, alto (trio) version
Commissioned by NMC
Still Sweet (1998) 6'
mezzo-sop. vla, afl
Premiered by Ksenia Jones (mezzo soprano), Aroa Garcia Sanchez (viola),
Leora Alexander (alto Flute), London, 1998
Still Sweet II (1998 revised 2006) 6'
mezzo-sop. vla, afl (new version - text: Harry Ross
WORKS WITH VIDEO
Moromoro (2003) 8'
piano, tape and video (optional: video by Tomoya Yamaguchi)
Commissioned and premiered by Tomoko Mukaiyama, Logos Festival, Netherlands, 27.01.04
Teki (2003) 8'
piano and video (video by Tomoya Yamaguchi)
Premiered by Sarah Nicolls, London, 20.03.03
SOLO WORKS
Be (2004) 14'
solo percussion
Joint commission: BBC Radio 3 and the Royal Philharmonic Society
Premiered by Colin Curry, Spitalfields Festival, London, Summer 2004
ES (2008) 3’
Double bass
Eternal Escape (2001 rev. 2006) 5'
vc.
Commissioned by John Woolrich
Premiered by Adrian Bradbury, Hoxton Music Festival, Summer 2001
Flux (2007) 5'
Vla
Premiered UdK Berlin by Jessica Rona 08.01.08
Hibiki in the line (2000) 5'
cl. (sax)
INKLING (2009) 3’
Trumpet
K’s Ocean (2005/2009) 9’
Trombone and electronics
..only.. (2001) 5'
harp
Premiered by Kate Smith, Summer 2001
Moment (2007) 1'
Vc
Premiered Paris 2007
Perla (2003) 4'
solo bass recorder
Premiered by Rachel Barnes, Winter 2003
Rubi(co)n (2006) 1'
100 notes for clarinet or bass clarinet
Premiered by Joshua Rubin, New York, Spring 2006
SAKANA (2007) 10'
tenor saxophone (and Clarinet B-flat version)
Commissioned by Tokyo City Opera & NONAKA
Premiered by Masanori Oishi, Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall, 18.03.08
WORKS FOR PIANO
Echo Within (2001) 6'
pf.
Premiered by Atsuko Niki, Wigmore hall, Spring 2001
Half-Remembered City (2002) 10'
pf. 4 hands
Commissioned and premiered by Waka Hasegawa and Joseph Tong, with funds from the PRS Foundation, Tokyo, Summer 2002
JOULE (2009) 10’
Pf.
Commissioned by BBC R3, premiered by Sunwook Kim, Leeds. UK
Lost Shadows (2000) 10'
pf.
Commissioned by the Park Lane Group, premiered by Yukiko Shinohara, London, 12.01.2001
miliampere (2010) 3’
toy piano
Piano Studies 1-2:
1) Frozen Heat (1998) 6'
Premiered by Jane Trainer, London, Summer 1998
2) Deepened Arc (1998) 6'
Premiered by Veselin Stambolov, Ppianissimo Bulgaria, Spring 2001
Returning (2006) 4'
pf.
Commissioned and premiered by Noriko Ogawa at the City of London Festival, 30.06.06
Sleeping Ashes (2002) 5'
pf.
Premiered by Ananda Sukarlan, 2003
WORKS WITH ELECTRONICS
Blue Sky Falling (2001) 9'
afl. cl. tpt. vc. db. live electronics (see Ensemble/chamber)
moromoro (2003) 8'
piano, tape and video (optional: video by Tomoya Yamaguchi)
(see Works with video)
Prism Spectre (2009) 18’
Viola and electronics
Vast Ocean (2005) 20'
solo trombone 2(1&2picc).2.2.2. / 2.2.0.0. / 2perc.pf. / str. / live electronics
commissioned by SWR for Donaueschinger Musiktage. Kompositionsauftrag des Sudwestrunfunks
Premiere 15th October, 2005 at Donaueschinger Musiktage, performed by Hilversum Radio Orchestra, Experimentalstudio Heinrich-Strobel-Stiftung, Conductor: Peter Eötvös
WORKS WITH JAPANESE INSTRUMENTS
Breathing Tides (2010) 5’
Sho. Oboe (see Ensemble/chamber)
Cutting Sky (2006) 4'
koto. vla (see Ensemble/chamber)
Touch of Breeze (2004) 1'
vla. cl. and sho (see Ensemble/chamber)
Okeanos Breeze (2001) 10'
sho. koto. ob. cl. vla (see Ensemble/chamber)
SPECIAL OCCASION
Banitza Groove! (2006, re-composed 2007) 5'
2222 / 2200 / strings
Commissioned by KAJIMOTO Concert Management for New Year Concert series, premiered by Wiener Ring Ensemble in January, Japan.
Revised/orchestration version: commissioned by Manning Camerata, premiered by Manning Camerata conducted by Peter Manning. Florence Hall, Royal Institute of British Architects, London.16.11.07
Since 2010, Dai Fujikura's works have been published exclusively by Ricordi Munich. For a current list of these works please visit Ricordi Munich’s website.
WORKS
Away we play (2010)
für zwei Soprane und Alt
Text: Harry Ross
Uraufführung: Glamorgan, 10.9.2010 / Dauer: 4'
Sy. 4114 *Part.
Dolphins (2010)
für zwei Violen
Uraufführung: Tokio, Mai 2011 / Dauer: 8'
Sy. 4112 Part.
Double Bass Concerto (2010)
für Kontrabass und Orchester
1. 1. 1. 0. / 2. 2. 0. 0. / 2 Schlzg. Klav. Hf. / 3. 0.2. 0. 0.
Dauer: 20'
Sy. 4003 Part. / Sti.
Fluid Calligraphy (2010)
für Violine und Video ad lib.
Video: Tomoya Yamaguchi, Video
Uraufführung: Köln, 9.4.2010
Sy. 4078 Part. Video ad lib. (in Vorbereitung)
Glacier (2010)
für Bassflöte
Sy. 4115 Part.
Halcyon (2011)
für Klarinette und Streichtrio
Uraufführung: Philadelphia, 15.4.2011 / Dauer: 13'
Sy. 4012 Part. / Sti.
ice (2009)
für Kammerensemble
2. 1. 1. 1. / Git. Schlzg. / 1. 0. 1. 1. 1.
Uraufführung: New York, 27.4.2010 / Dauer: 16'
Sy. 4002 *Part. Sti.
love excerpt (2009)
für Mezzosopran und Klavier
Text: Harry Ross
Uraufführung: London, 25.2.2010 / Dauer: 3'
Sy. 4026 *Spiel-Part.
Mirrors (2009)
für sechs Violoncelli
Uraufführung: Chicago, 25.1.2010 / Dauer: 12'
Sy. 4001 *Part. / Sti.
Phantom Splinter (2009)
für Oboe, Klarinette, Fagott und Live-Elektronik
Live-Elektronik: Experimentalstudio des SWR Freiburg
Uraufführung: 17.10.2009, Donaueschingen / Dauer: 20'
Sy. 4000 *Part. / Sti.
Recorder Concerto (2010)
Blfl. / 4. 4. 4. 2. 1.
Uraufführung: Amsterdam, 18.11.2010 / Dauer: ca. 15'
Sy. 4003 *Part. / Sti.
Samarasa (2010)
für Violine
Uraufführung. Pays de la Meije, 7.8.2010
Sy. 4061 *Part.
Samarasa (2010/11)
Version für Viola
Uraufführung: Tokio, 13.9.2011
Sy. 4186 Part.
String Quartet No. 2 "flare" (2010)
Uraufführung: London, 3.2.2011 / Dauer: 15'
Sy. 4005 Part. / Sti.
Tocar y luchar (2010)
for orchestra
Picc. 1 (Picc). Afl (Picc). 3 (Eh). 3 (Bkl). 3. / 4. 3 (Picctr). 3. 1. / Pk. 3 Schlzg. / Streicher
Uraufführung: 12.2.2011, Caracas / Dauer: 10'
Sy. 4097 Part. / Sti.
