[Pianist Yurie Matsumoto] What I want to convey through the musical experience of Yuon
Yuon is an organization that provides music experiences that anyone can participate in, regardless of age, nationality, or disability. Yuon's projects are unique, such as barrier-free concerts for children aged 0 and above where they can get up on stage and watch the performers up close, and concerts at temples. This time we present an interview with Yurie Matsumoto, the pianist who presides over Yuon.
When I was a child, I loved the piano more than anything.
Arie Matsumoto, who runs Yuon, went on to attend Kunitachi College of Music and its graduate school from the junior and senior high schools attached to Kunitachi College of Music, graduating at the top of her class. After that, he studied in Hungary, moved to Vienna in 2012, and returned to Japan in 2018. I started Yu-on while performing as a musician while getting married, giving birth, and raising children.
--At what age did you start playing the piano?
He loved the piano and wanted to play it since he was a child. However, I started learning seriously before I entered elementary school. My first piano lesson was with a teacher in Sanjo City, Niigata Prefecture. Because my father was a transferee, I changed elementary schools three times, and my mother found me a piano teacher each time. It must have been difficult because there was no internet like there is now.
--What made you decide to take the entrance exam for a junior high school with a music course?
My piano teacher, who I met when I was in the fourth grade, had studied abroad in Germany and was someone I really respected. Because of this connection, I decided that I wanted to become a pianist in the future. At that time, when I was in the 6th grade of elementary school, I was asked to transfer again, and at the recommendation of my homeroom teacher, I decided to take the entrance exam for the junior high school attached to Kunitachi College of Music. My mother told me, ``If you don't get into a music junior high school, give up on the piano,'' and I became even more obsessed with piano lessons.
--Why did you study abroad in Hungary after graduating from graduate school?
When I was in middle school, I saw a special program on Hungarian pianist András Schiff on TV, which made me want to study piano abroad. After graduating from graduate school, I went to Hungary to study under Mr. Schiff's teacher, Mr. Ferenc Rados, in order to realize this dream.
--Wasn't living in a foreign country difficult?
At that time in Hungary, only a few homes had telephones, but I enjoyed the inconvenience. I came from Japan alone to learn piano, and the Hungarian people treated me like family. There was no time to feel anxious. I spent four years in Hungary surrounded by wonderful teachers and kind people, and my perspective on music changed.
I want to deliver something good for my first concert.
--What kind of child was your daughter Hiroka, a violinist?
I used to play the piano at home, so I played around with it. However, I was too young to start playing the piano and my hands were small. So before she turned 4, I gave her a fractional violin, which even toddlers can play, and she really liked it. Since the violin was an instrument that could be carried around with me, I always practiced it when I traveled. Hiroka seems to have loved the violin since she was little.
Hiroka Matsumoto (violin) and Yurie Matsumoto (piano)
――There is a time slot for Yuon concerts that children under 0 can attend. How did you get started?
After I returned to Japan after six years of work in Vienna, I thought about what kind of musical activities I should do in Japan. Although there are many concerts for children, there are still very few classical concerts that babies can listen to together. In Aoba Ward, where I live, there is a wonderful concert hall called Philia Hall, so I started holding classical concerts there where I could listen to the musicians right next to them.
--There were some wheelchair users, but was there anything you were conscious of?
I had the opportunity to speak with parents of children with disabilities at the ward office, and they expressed their support for the concert. As we listened to the voices of children with disabilities who wanted to listen together, the concerts became barrier-free.
Image provided by: Yuon
--I was surprised by the variety of performers and projects, but is there anything you keep in mind?
We are inviting performers who agree with what we want to achieve with Yuon, and whose performances convey the true nature and charm of music, as well as performances that convey the positive energy of music.
You can feel the music with your whole body by watching it on the same stage and close to the performers.
--Are there any particularities that are unique to Yuon?
Just because the customer is a small child, does that mean you don't make the songs easy to listen to? We sincerely want to deliver good performances to 0-year-old babies, and we also want to structure our concerts in a way that will satisfy adults who love classical music.
Connecting local people through music
Yurie Matsumoto holds concerts that anyone can attend based on her experience of being kind to the people around her while studying abroad in Hungary. The activity started in Aoba Ward and spread to Kanagawa Prefecture and neighboring prefectures.
In recognition of our continuous performance activities, in 2022 and 2023 we received a grant from the Tokyu Children's Support Program and held the ``Mikke! Pleasant Music - Rice Field Club'' and ``Mikke! Pleasant Music - Field Club.'' doing. We hold about 10 events a year and invite 150 parents and children for free.
Image provided by: Yuon
The classical concert "TERA CONCERT," which we started this year with the idea of "being able to experience music at a nearby temple without having to travel far," is also very popular. The driving force behind our activities is to help people who are unable to go out, such as the elderly or bring their babies with them, to have a relaxing time listening to music at local temples. I was surprised to hear that Ms. Arie did all the research, negotiations, and previews for the temple at the venue.
Image provided by: Yuon
Yuon's 2023 concert has been, and will continue to be, a growing circle of people from Aoba Ward who are connected through music, such as people becoming acquainted through concert participation, and children who were babies when they first came here growing up. Masu.
The venues for ``TERA CONCERT'' are all famous temples, and ``Let's come together!'' will take us out of Kanagawa Prefecture to Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture. Check out the fun music that will bring the power of music from Kanagawa Prefecture to all over the country!
Yuon homepage
Based on the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) and the philosophy of STEAM education, Yuon provides a barrier-free, participatory music experience, providing an opportunity to improve lifelong physical and mental health and deepen connections in the community. The purpose is to create.
■2023 TERA CONCERT
3rd Saturday, November 11, 2023 Engakuji Nyoian (Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture)
4th Thursday, November 23, 2023 (Holiday) Toshoji Temple Main Hall (Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture)
■2023 Let's come together!
Friday, December 22, 2023 Art Forum Azamino (Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture)
Saturday, March 9, 2024 Takasaki Arts Theater Music Hall (Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture)
