Koto･Shamisen･Voice
… this charming piece was a virtual encyclopedia of each instrument’s tonal possibilities and the ways they could combine, contrast, and accompany each other, realized with admirable feeling and energy by both players. – But Beautiful (composed by Takuma Ito, commissioned by Duo YUMENO) – Bargemusic rocks the new year with five premieres at Here and Now
… Lady Day and Tony Bennett, Lena Horne and Frank Sinatra…just about everybody sung Just Beautiful (as if anybody could make the lyrics and music more bittersweet and beautiful than they are on paper). But nobody ever played Just Beautiful like the Duo Yumeno at Barge Music last night. Without a single note of the original!… – But Beautiful (composed by Takuma Ito, commissioned by Duo YUMENO) – Barge Music’s Eight Course Banquet from ConcertoNet
Duo YUMENO’s performances at Here and Now Winter Festival are featured on New York Classical Review and ConcertoNet. Duo YUMENO performed its commission piece, “But Beautiful” (New York premiere) composed by Takuma Ito. (1/7/20)
…Medusa’s Lair, from Marty Regan, left the strongest impression, and not only for being a piece for solo shamisen, played with focussed drive by Yoko Reikano Kimura. … Kimura conveyed the precise intensity of the piece, which spiraled into a well of drama. – Medusa’s Lair for solo shamisen (composed by Marty Regan) – New works push off at Bargemusic’s Hera and Now Festival
Kimura’s performance of solo shamisen work, “Medusa’s Lair” – World Premiere – composed by Marty Regan is featured on New York Classical Review. (9/2/19)
Kimura performed the new opera, Murasaki’s Moon composed by Michi Wiancko at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There are several reviews on the following sites; The Wall Street Journal New York Classical Review Seen and Heard International blogcritics (6/5/19)
Duo YUMENO will have the 10th Anniversary Recital at Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall on Saturday, March 2, 2:00 pm. Tickets will be available on Friday, December 7th, 11:00 am. Please visit the Carnegie Hall’s website.
Three koto concertos performed in the summer of 2018 There is an article about Kimura’s performance of Koto Concerto: Genji (composed by Daron Hagen) at the Wintergreen Music Festival (conductor, Mei-Ann Chen) on the September, 2018 issue of Hogaku Journal. Hogaku Journal is one of the leading monthly magazines about traditional Japanese music scene. (in Japanese) Photo credit (above, article) by Paul Purpura
…this was the most abstract work on the program and also the most intriguing…the piece had Kimura playing graceful, carefully placed lines against audio that had a strong metrical pulse and etched rhythms. – To the Victims of Cain for solo shamisen and pre-recording (composed by Yoriaki Matsudaira) – http://newyorkclassicalreview.com/2018/09/bargemusics-here-and-now-festival-opens-with-an-evening-of-eclectic-delights/