[Pianist Yurie Matsumoto] What she wants to convey through the Yuon music experience

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

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

Yurie Matsumoto, the founder of Yuon, went on to 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 studied in Hungary, moved to Vienna in 2012, and returned to Japan in 2018. She launched Yuon while continuing her performing career while getting married, giving birth and raising children.

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

She loved the piano from an early age and wanted to play it. However, she didn't start taking proper piano lessons until she entered elementary school. Her first piano lessons were with a teacher in Sanjo City, Niigata Prefecture. Because her father was transferred frequently, she changed elementary schools three times, and each time her mother helped her find a new piano teacher. It was difficult because there was no internet like there is today.

--What prompted you 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 was someone I respected very much. 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, and my homeroom teacher suggested that I 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, give up on piano," so I became even more engrossed 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 made me want to study piano abroad. After graduating from graduate school, I went to Hungary to study under Ferenc Rados, Schiff's teacher, in order to make that dream come true.

Was it difficult living in a foreign country?

At that time in Hungary, only a limited number of homes had telephones, but I enjoyed the inconvenience. I came 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 I spent four years there that even changed 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 played with it as if it were a game. But she was too young to start playing the piano, and her hands were too small. So before she turned 4, I gave her a violin that even small children can start with, and she loved it. The violin was a portable instrument, so she would always practice when we went on trips. It seems that Hiroka loved the violin from a young age.

Hiroka Matsumoto (violin) and Yurie Matsumoto (piano)

Q: Youon's concerts have a time slot for infants. What prompted you to start this?

After returning 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 few classical concerts where babies can listen to music at the venue. In Aoba Ward where I live, there is a wonderful concert hall called Philia Hall, so I started a classical concert 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 a chance to talk with the parents of children with disabilities at the ward office, and they supported the concert. As we listened to their voices, saying that they wanted children with disabilities to listen as well, 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 have invited performers who agree with what Yuun wants to achieve and who can deliver performances that convey the true nature and charm of music, and the positive energy that music contains.

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 unique features that you'd only like to have at Yuon?

Is it the case that you don't play easy-to-listen-to pieces just because the audience is small children? I want to deliver good performances to infants as well, and I'm also thinking about how to structure the concert so that it will satisfy adults who love classical music.

Connecting local people through music

Yurie Matsumoto, who was treated kindly by people around her during her time studying abroad in Hungary, started 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 continued performance activities, they will receive funding from the Tokyu Children's Support Program to hold the "Mikke! Fun Music - Rice Field Club" and "Mikke! Fun Music - Farm Club" in 2022 and 2023. They hold about 10 events a year, inviting 150 parent-child pairs free of charge.

Image provided by Yuon

The classical music concert "TERA CONCERT", which started this year with the idea of "it would be great if people could experience music at a nearby temple without having to travel far", has also been very well received. 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 a relaxing time listening to music at a local temple. It is surprising to learn that Yurie is responsible for all of the research, negotiations, and preliminary inspections of the temples where the events are held.

Image provided by Yuon

Yuun's 2023 concerts have been, and will continue to be, a great way to expand the circle of people connected through music from Aoba Ward, as people get to know each other through attending the concerts and see children who were babies when they first came grow up.

The venues for "TERA CONCERT" are all famous temples, and "Let's come together!" will be heading out of Kanagawa Prefecture and into Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture. Keep an eye out for the fun music that will bring 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, Yuuon aims to provide a barrier-free, participatory music experience that promotes lifelong physical and mental health and deepens connections in the community.

■2023 TERA CONCERT
3rd: Saturday, November 11, 2023, Engakuji Temple Nyoian (Kamakura, 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)
Saturday, March 9, 2024 Takasaki Arts Theatre Music Hall (Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture)