It's Music to our ears

Wednesday, May 27, 2009 { 8:47 AM }

Profile:

Name [Chen Yi]
Birthday [April 4th 1953]
Origin [Guangzhong, Guangdong, China]
Genre [Contemporary Classical]
Occupation [Composer]
Instrument [Violin

History:
Chen Yi was born into a family with good background. Her parents work as doctors and musicians. He mother was able to play the piano and her father knew how to play the violin. Her elder sister was intellectually better than others and with her younger brother; her sibl

ings became specialized musicians in China.
Chen Yi learnt the piano at the early age of three; focusing more on western compositions by Bach or Mozart. However, war came and her father and sister were taken away. She persisted on practicing her music, taking precautions not to be found out but was discovered. Her things were confiscated and her family was torn apart to different areas to do manual work.
Even though much hardship was faced, Chen Yi used her time there to study the wonder of Chinese folk culture and it helped her in her future compos

itions. She returned to Guangzhou at the age of seventeen and found a job as a concertmaster of the orchestra in the Beijing Opera Troupe.

After that, she stayed in New York City and learnt about composing with Chou Wen-chung and Mario Davidovsky, getting a DMA with distinction at Columbia University. She is also married to Zhou Long, a composer like herself.

Works/Contributions:
Chen has done many orchestral works, choral and chamber repertoire, even pieces for ethnic Chinese instruments. Some of her works are: Lament of the twin starts (1996) performed by a mixed chorus, Overture (1990) performed by a Chinese Instrumental Orchestra and Si Ji/ Four Seasons (2005) performed by a string orchestra or String Quintet.

Profile:

Name [Yoko Ono Lennon]
Birthday [February 18th 1933]
Origin [Tokyo, Japan]
Genre [Avant-Garde, Rock, Pop, Electronica, Shibuya Kei, Fluxus]
Occupation [Artist, Musician, Peace Activist]
Instrument [Vocals, Piano]

History
Yoko Ono’s family; Zenjiro Yasuda (Great Grandfather), Eisuke Ono (Father), Isoko Ono (Mother); runs in the business related to banking. Her family travelled to San Francisco, returned to Japan, then went to New York City, Hanoi and back to Japan again; entering an elite Christian primary school. In April 1946, she followed her father’s footsteps and entered Tokyo’s Gakushuin University, an elite school only open to people descended from aristocrats or even the imperial family! As her father was a descendant of an Emperor of Japan, she was enrolled and graduated in 1951, being the first ever woman to be in the philosophy program department but left the school after two semesters.
After that, her family moved to Scarsdale, New York where she cultivated her passion for music and arts. She went to galleries and met many artists. She married a composer, Toshi Ichiyanagi but it was short lived as they separated in 1962. In a few months, she remarried to Anthony Cox; a jazz musician, film producer and an art promoter. They had a daughter, Kyoko Chan Cox in the 8th of August 1963.

She divorced Cox and married John Lennon (a member of the Beatles) resulting in them fighting over the custody of Kyoko. Ono won in the end but Cox took her away and changed her name to Rosemary. Lennon was murdered in 1980 and Cox and Rosemary sent a sympathy letter. After which, Ono stopped looking for her grown daughter but they reunited in 1994. Ono also had a son, Sean, and Lennon resigned and took care of Sean.

Ono performed her first big public performance in Carnegie Recital Hall, followed by many other performances; for instance, performing in the Queen Elizabeth Hall. She performed at the opening ceremony for the 2006 Winter Olympic Games held in Turin, Italy; reciting a verse poem as an introduction to song ‘Imagine’.

Works/Contributions:
Ono produced many albums (23), singles (26) and many other works with other artists. Some of which are Fly (1971), Season Of Glass (1981) and Onobox (1992).

Awards:
International Assocaition of Art Critics
Skowhegan Medal
Award from the Japan Society of New York
Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Liverpool University
Degree of Doctor of Fine Arts from Bard College.

Profile:

Name [Yuki Kajiura]
Birthday [6th August 1965]
Origin [Tokyo, Japan]
Genre [Pop, Classical, New Age]
Occupation [Composer, Musician]
Instruments [Keyboard/Piano]

History:
Kajiura lived in West Germany since young due to her father’s job. She had written a music piece at the early age of seven as a farewell song to her grandmother. She graduated form a college in Tokyo and worked as a systems engineering programmer but changed her career to the music department. Her father had a major part in this decision as he appreciated opera and classical music a lot.

She debuted in 1992 as a trio with Chiaki Ishikawa as the lead vocal and Yukiko Nishioka. She was the back-up vocals and played the keyboards.

However the group separated in 1995 as one of their members wanted to become a writer. Thus, Kajiura went solo in her musical career, music composing and sound producing for many media. She later rejoined with Chiaki, creating a duo, See-Saw. At the same time, Kajiura made a breakthrough in animation music with a unique mix of synth, opera and French-flaired sound.

Works/Contributions:
Kajiura composed much animation music, game/movie soundtracks,

musicals, albums and many other productions. Some of which are her albums with See-Saw: I have a dream (1993). Others like: Tsubasa: Tokyo Revelations (2008), Blood the Last Vampire (2000) and Noir (2001). She also worked with many other vocalists for her songs.