Come enjoy music and art in the stylish space unique to Maekawa Architecture!

A world of art to visit, see and feel
File.32 Music Hall Open Theater "New Year's with Music x Architecture x Art"
Miyuki Inoue (Magcal Editorial Department)

The "Music Hall Open Theater" opens the entire Music Hall to the public and admission is free. It's a great event that can be enjoyed by music fans, people who are more interested in Maekawa architecture than music, and even preschool children. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, this time it will be held in both a real-life version and an online version, so let's head to the real-life Open Theater held on Wednesday, January 6th!

Unfortunately, the planned "Maekawa Architecture Tour" was cancelled for both adults and children. Because of this, the area around the entrance was deserted even after the opening time of 1pm... or so I thought. But from the other side of the glass wall, I could sense a cheerful atmosphere. Oh, and there was a program called "Live Painting". I thought I had to experience the live feeling, so I headed inside the music hall!

The artist who performed the live painting was calligrapher and painter Hanateru. He is based in Zushi and Kamakura and creates works in his own unique style. He often gets inspiration from the "casual but lovely scenery" he sees while walking around the neighborhood, but this time he used the glass wall of the music hall as a canvas to paint a picture with the image of "yin and yang."
The theme is "Ring of Light."

Since we had the opportunity, we asked them to remove their masks for a moment so we could take a picture!

"The Concert Hall is a building that has been loved and cherished by everyone, and I feel that it is a building filled with a lot of memories. It took a bit of courage to paint inside it (laughs), but it feels really good.
The walls of the music hall are colourful - red, green and yellow - so I'm planning to keep my painting simple."

Suddenly, I noticed a strange object in the foyer. A UFO? Or a giant Dorayaki?

The object was a "handpan" played in another program.
The handpan is a new instrument that was created in Switzerland around 2000. It has a deep, pleasant sound reminiscent of gamelan, and is becoming increasingly popular, especially in Europe. It is said to be an evolved version of the Caribbean steelpan, and produces sound by flicking or hitting a dome-shaped metal plate with the fingertips.

The performer is Ryohei Kubota.
When he was in his second year of high school, he came across a video of handpan playing on the web and was so impressed that he thought, "I just want to play the handpan. I can't sleep unless I play the handpan!"

"At the time, there was almost no information available in Japanese, and when I finally found a handpan, it was quite expensive for a high school student. Still, I spent all the money I had saved up to buy a bass guitar, and borrowed the rest from my parents, and somehow I managed to buy it."

Since then, without a teacher or a textbook to teach him how to play, he continued to play through trial and error, and established himself as a player.
The passion of young people is amazing!

The sounds of handpans softly echo in the sophisticated and elegant space unique to Maekawa's architecture.

"The foyer of the music hall has a pleasant reverb and creates a wonderful spread of sound. I'm looking forward to everyone hearing the live sound of the handpan."

Gradually, more and more customers began to gather in the foyer, drawn by the sound of the handpans. The foyer of the music hall is spacious, and some of the windows are open, so it's great for good ventilation... but because it's this time of year, the hall staff have taken extra precautions.
Look! A row of reliable air circulators lined up along the wall!

It looks like an object that blends in with the foyer's modern architectural design, and it brings a smile to your face.

Hanateru continued painting while the fantastical music of the handpan played.

The third program was a New Year's live performance by "The Poo" held in the hall. Since the seats were unreserved, I sat in a different seat from the one I aimed for at the concert. I could see the beautiful hall, whose walls and ceilings were all made of wood, and it felt refreshing.

The Poo is a musical unit consisting of Machikado Machio (guitar), Machikado Machiko (theremin), Kawashima Sarutaro (puppet), and SONE Taro (producer), and is known for their surreal and stylish live performances that mix music, comedy, and theater.
I don't really know, but it sounds interesting.

What caught my interest was the "Theremin" played by Machiko. It is said to be the world's first electronic musical instrument, and it is said that you can adjust the pitch and volume by the position of your hands in space without touching the main body. The performance scene was very mysterious, like dancing or watching a magic trick.

The approximately 40-minute stage was packed with talk, singing, and laughter.
If I go into detail it would be a spoiler, so please be sure to check it out on the Ongakudo Channel @YouTube, which will be released at a later date.

I had been to concerts at the music hall before, but on this day the music hall felt a little different, filled with a friendly atmosphere.
The music hall is such a comfortable space because you can enjoy music freely.
As I was thinking about this, I looked back and realized that Hanateru 's painting was soon to be completed.

This is a picture taken around 4pm, just before closing time. Comparing it to the first image, you can get a sense of the gentle time that Hanateru has spun.

On the YouTube "Ongakudo Channel," not only live videos of the real version will be available, but also programs exclusive to the online version. If you want to listen to the sound of the handpan, enjoy The Poo's original stage, see the full picture of Hanateru 's painting, or enjoy the beauty of Maekawa architecture, please visit us!

*The footage from the Music Hall Open Theatre will be released in late January.