Let's have fun with music and art in a stylish space that only Maekawa Architecture can create!

Go, see, and experience the world of art
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" is an event where the entire music hall is opened up for free admission. It's a great event that music fans, as well as people more interested in Maekawa's architecture and even preschoolers can easily participate in. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, both an "in-person version" and an "online version" will be held this time, so let's head over to the in-person Open Theater held on January 6th (Wednesday)!

Unfortunately, both the adult and children's versions of the planned "Maekawa Architectural Tour" were cancelled. As a result, the area near the entrance was deserted even after the scheduled opening time of 1 PM...or so I thought. A cheerful atmosphere seemed to be emanating from beyond the glass wall. That's right, there was a program called "Live Painting." I thought I absolutely had to experience this live performance, so I headed inside the concert hall!

The artist performing the live painting was hanateru, a calligrapher and painter. Based in Zushi and Kamakura, he creates art in his own unique style. He often draws inspiration from the "ordinary but endearing scenery" he sees while strolling around his neighborhood, but this time he used the glass wall of the concert hall as his canvas to paint a picture inspired by "yin and yang."
The theme is "The Ring of Light".

Since we had the opportunity, I asked them to take their masks off for just a moment so I could snap a picture!

"I feel that this concert hall, which has been loved and cherished by so many people, is a building filled with so many memories. It took a little courage to paint in it (laughs), but it feels really good."
The walls of the concert hall are colorful with 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 perhaps a giant dorayaki (Japanese sweet pancake)?

The object was a handpan, played by another program.
The handpan is a relatively new instrument that originated in Switzerland around 2000. Its deep, resonant sound, reminiscent of gamelan music, is said to be very pleasant, and it's gaining popularity, especially in Europe. It's also said to be an evolved version of the steelpan, which originated in the Caribbean, and apparently, it produces sound by plucking or striking a dome-shaped metal plate with the fingertips.

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

"Back then, there was hardly any information available in Japanese, and the handpan I finally found was quite expensive for a high school student. Even so, I used the money I had saved to buy a bass guitar, and borrowed the rest from my parents, and somehow managed to get one."

Since then, he has continued to play through trial and error, without a teacher or instruction book to learn his technique, and has established himself as a player.
The passion of young people is incredible!

In the refined and elegant space characteristic of Maekawa Architecture, the soft sound of the handpan resonates.

"The foyer of the concert hall has a pleasant reverberation, and the sound spreads beautifully. I'm looking forward to everyone hearing the live sound of the handpan."

Drawn in by the sound of the handpan, the foyer gradually filled with more and more customers. The concert hall's foyer is spacious, and some of the windows are open, so I thought the ventilation was good...but given the current circumstances, the hall staff had taken extra precautions.
Behold! The reliable sight of the circulating fans lined up along the wall!

It looks like an object integrated with the modern architectural design of the foyer, which makes you smile involuntarily.

And as the ethereal music of the handpan played, Hanateru continued to paint.

The third program was "The Poo"'s New Year's live performance in the hall. Since it was open seating, I sat in a different spot than the one I usually aim for at concerts. I had a great view of the beautiful hall, which was entirely made of wood from the walls to the ceiling, and it was a refreshing experience.

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

What caught my attention was Machiko's performance of the theremin. It's said to be the world's first electronic musical instrument, and apparently, you don't touch the instrument itself; you adjust the pitch and volume by the position of your hands in space. Watching her play was a strange and wonderful experience, like watching a dance or a magic trick.

The approximately 40-minute performance was packed with talk, songs, and laughter.
Going into detail would spoil the show, so please check it out on the Music Hall Channel @YouTube, which will be released at a later date.

I had been to concerts at the concert hall before, but on this particular day, the hall seemed to be enveloped in a slightly different, more friendly atmosphere than usual.
The fact that you can freely enjoy music is precisely why a concert hall is such a comfortable space...
As I was thinking about all that, I turned around and saw that hanateru 's painting was almost finished.

Here's a picture taken around 4 PM, just before closing time. If you compare it to the first image, you can probably feel the gentle atmosphere that hanateru created.

The YouTube channel "Ongakudo Channel" will feature not only live performance videos but also online-only programs. Whether you want to hear the sound of the handpan, enjoy The Poo's original stage performance, see the full scope of Hanateru 's artwork, or appreciate the beauty of Maekawa's architecture, be sure to check it out!

*The video of the open-air concert hall is scheduled to be released in late January.