[Pianist Yurie Matsumoto] What she wants to convey through the Yu-on musical experience

Yuon is an organization that provides musical experiences that anyone can participate in, regardless of age, nationality, or disability. Yuon's unique events include barrier-free concerts for children from 0 years old, where they can go on stage and watch the performers up close, and concerts at temples. In this article, we bring you an interview with Yuon's pianist, Matsumoto Yurie.

As a child, I loved the piano more than anything.

Yurie Matsumoto, the founder of Yuon, went on to study at the Kunitachi College of Music Junior and Senior High School, and then to the Kunitachi College of Music and its graduate school, graduating at the top of her class. She then trained in Hungary, moved to Vienna in 2012, and returned to Japan in 2018. She founded Yuon while continuing her performing career while getting married, giving birth, and raising children.

--At what age did you start playing the piano?

He loved the piano from a young age and wanted to play it. However, he didn't start learning seriously until he entered elementary school. His first piano lessons were with a teacher in Sanjo City, Niigata Prefecture. Because his father was transferred frequently, he changed elementary schools three times, and his mother helped him find a piano teacher each time. It was difficult because there was no internet like there is today.

--What made you decide to apply to a junior high school with a music course?

When I was in the fourth grade of elementary school, I met a piano teacher who had studied abroad in Germany and whom I really respected. That connection led me to decide that I wanted to become a pianist in the future. Then, in the sixth grade of elementary school, there was talk of me being transferred again for work and changing schools, and at the suggestion of my homeroom teacher, I decided to take the entrance exam for the junior high school attached to the Kunitachi College of Music. My mother told me, "If you don't get into the music junior high school, you'll have to give up on piano," and I became even more absorbed in piano lessons.

--After graduating from graduate school, why did you go to Hungary to study abroad?

When I was in junior high school, I saw a TV program featuring Hungarian pianist András Schiff, and it sparked my desire to study piano abroad. After graduating from graduate school, I went to Hungary to make that dream a reality, and studied under Ferenc Rados, Schiff's teacher.

--Was it difficult living in a foreign country?

At the time in Hungary, only a limited number of homes had telephones, but I enjoyed the inconvenience. I had come alone from Japan to study piano, and the people of Hungary treated me like family. I never had time to feel lonely. I was surrounded by wonderful teachers and kind people in Hungary, and my four years there changed even my perspective on music.

I want to deliver a great concert for the first time.

--Your daughter, violinist Hiroka, what kind of child was she?

I used to play the piano at home, so she was used to playing the piano. However, she was too young to start playing the piano, and her hands were too small. So, before she turned four, I gave her a fractional violin, which even toddlers can start with, and she loved it. The violin is a portable instrument, so she would practice without fail, even when we traveled. It seems Hiroka has loved the violin since she was little.

Hiroka Matsumoto (violin) and Yurie Matsumoto (piano)

--Your concerts have a time slot that allows newborns to enter. What was the reason behind this?

After returning to Japan after six years of work in Vienna, I thought about what kind of musical activities I should pursue. Although there are many concerts for children, there are still very few classical concerts where you can bring your baby along to listen to. In Aoba Ward, where I live, there is a wonderful concert hall called Philia Hall, so I started holding classical concerts there, where you can listen to the performers up close.

--There were wheelchair users in the audience. Was there anything you were mindful of?

I had the opportunity to speak with the parents of children with disabilities at the ward office, and they agreed to the concert. As we listened to their requests to include children with disabilities in the music, the concert became barrier-free.

Image provided by Yuon

--I was surprised at the variety of performers and projects. Is there anything you keep in mind?

We invite performers who agree with what Yuon wants to achieve and who can deliver performances that convey the true nature and charm of music, as well as the positive energy that music possesses.

By watching from the same stage and at close range as the performers, you can feel the music with your whole body.

--Are there any particular features that are unique to Yuon?

Is it the case that we don't play easy-listening pieces just because the audience is small children? We want to deliver a good performance to even infants, and we also want to structure the concert in a way that will satisfy adults who love classical music.

Connecting local people through music

Yurie Matsumoto, inspired by the kindness shown to her by those around her while studying abroad in Hungary, is now holding concerts that anyone can participate in. Her activities began in Aoba Ward and have since spread to Kanagawa Prefecture and neighboring prefectures.
In recognition of their ongoing performance activities, the group will receive funding from the Tokyu Children's Support Program in 2022 and 2023 to hold "Mikke! Joyful Music - Rice Field Club" and "Mikke! Joyful Music - Field Club." They hold approximately 10 events per year, inviting 150 parent-child pairs free of charge.

Image provided by Yuon

The classical concert "TERA CONCERT," which began this year with the idea that "it would be great if people could experience music at a nearby temple without having to travel far," has also been a big hit. The driving force behind this activity is the desire to allow people who have difficulty going out, such as the elderly or those with babies, to spend some relaxing time listening to music at a local temple. It's surprising to learn that Yurie is responsible for everything from researching to negotiating and inspecting the temples where the events are held.

Image provided by Yuon

Yuon's 2023 concert has been and will continue to be a great opportunity for people in Aoba Ward to get to know each other through attending the concerts, and for children who were babies when they first came to see them to grow up, expanding the circle of people connected through music.

All of the venues for "TERA CONCERT" are famous temples, while "Let's come together!" will head out of Kanagawa Prefecture and into Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture. Keep an eye out for the fun music that will spread the power of music from Kanagawa Prefecture to the whole country!

Yuon Homepage

Based on the principles of SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) and STEAM education, Yuon aims to provide a barrier-free, participatory music experience, promoting lifelong physical and mental health and strengthening connections within the community.

■2023 TERA CONCERT
3rd Event: Saturday, November 11, 2023, Nyoian Temple, Engakuji Temple (Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture)
4th: Thursday, November 23, 2023 (National Holiday) Toshoji Temple Main Hall (Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture)

■2023 Let's come together!
Friday, December 22, 2023: Art Forum Azamino (Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture)
March 9, 2024 (Sat) Takasaki Arts Theatre Music Hall (Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture)