Mayumi Miyata
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese player of the shō, a traditional Japanese mouth organ
. She is the most widely recorded and best internationally known soloist on this instrument.
She is a graduate of the Kunitachi College of Music
, where she majored in piano
. While in school, she began studying gagaku
music from Ono Tadamaro of the Imperial Household Agency
.
Although the shō is generally associated with Japan's ancient gagaku court music, Miyata was among the first players of the instrument to specialize in contemporary classical music
. She plays a specially constructed instrument with extra pipes, allowing for the use of more chromaticism
.
The American composer John Cage
(1912–1992) created a number of works for Miyata just before his death, after having met her during the 1990 Darmstadt
summer course. She has also premiered works by Tōru Takemitsu
, Toshi Ichiyanagi
, Maki Ishii
, Joji Yuasa
, Klaus Huber
, and Toshio Hosokawa
.
In 2005, she performed in three songs by the Iceland
ic musician Björk
, for the soundtrack album
to Drawing Restraint 9
, a film by Björk's contemporary media artist boyfriend Matthew Barney
, about Japanese culture and whaling
. Miyata also appeared in the film, playing the shō in one scene.
She has performed in Japan, Australia, the United States, and Europe. Her notable students include Kō Ishikawa.
Mouth organ
A mouth organ is a generic term for free reed aerophone with one or more air chambers fitted with a free reed.Though it spans many traditions, it is played universally the same way by the musician placing their lips over a chamber or holes in the instrument, and blowing or sucking air to create a...
. She is the most widely recorded and best internationally known soloist on this instrument.
She is a graduate of the Kunitachi College of Music
Kunitachi College of Music
The is a private music school in Tokyo, Japan. It was founded in 1926 as the Tokyo Conservatory of Music.It is located at Kashiwa-cho, Tachikawa, Tokyo.-Notable alumni:*Masamichi Amano, composer*Ahn Eak-tai, composer and conductor...
, where she majored in piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
. While in school, she began studying gagaku
Gagaku
Gagaku is a type of Japanese classical music that has been performed at the Imperial Court in Kyoto for several centuries. It consists of three primary repertoires:#Native Shinto religious music and folk songs and dance, called kuniburi no utamai...
music from Ono Tadamaro of the Imperial Household Agency
Imperial Household Agency
The is a government agency of Japan in charge of the state matters concerning Japan's imperial family and also keeping the Privy Seal and the State Seal...
.
Although the shō is generally associated with Japan's ancient gagaku court music, Miyata was among the first players of the instrument to specialize in contemporary classical music
Contemporary classical music
Contemporary classical music can be understood as belonging to the period that started in the mid-1970s with the retreat of modernism. However, the term may also be employed in a broader sense to refer to all post-1945 modern musical forms.-Categorization:...
. She plays a specially constructed instrument with extra pipes, allowing for the use of more chromaticism
Chromaticism
Chromaticism is a compositional technique interspersing the primary diatonic pitches and chords with other pitches of the chromatic scale. Chromaticism is in contrast or addition to tonality or diatonicism...
.
The American composer John Cage
John Cage
John Milton Cage Jr. was an American composer, music theorist, writer, philosopher and artist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde...
(1912–1992) created a number of works for Miyata just before his death, after having met her during the 1990 Darmstadt
Darmstadt
Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
summer course. She has also premiered works by Tōru Takemitsu
Toru Takemitsu
was a Japanese composer and writer on aesthetics and music theory. Largely self-taught, Takemitsu possessed consummate skill in the subtle manipulation of instrumental and orchestral timbre...
, Toshi Ichiyanagi
Toshi Ichiyanagi
is a Japanese composer of avant-garde music. He studied with Tomojiro Ikenouchi and John Cage.One of his most notable works is the 1960 composition, Kaiki, which combined Japanese instruments, shō and koto, and western instruments, harmonica and saxophone. Another work Distance requires the...
, Maki Ishii
Maki Ishii
was a Japanese composer of contemporary classical music, and brother of composer Kan Ishii.-Biography:Born in Tokyo, Ishii studied composition privately and conducting with Watanabe from 1952 to 1958 in Tokyo, then moved to Berlin, where he continued his studies under Boris Blacher and Josef Rufer...
, Joji Yuasa
Joji Yuasa
is a Japanese composer of contemporary classical music.-Biography:Born in Kōriyama, Fukushima, he is self-taught as a composer.In 1951 or 1952, together with the composer Tōru Takemitsu and other contemporary artists and musicians, he founded Jikken Kobo , an organization dedicated to the...
, Klaus Huber
Klaus Huber
Klaus Huber is a Swiss composer.Huber was born in Bern, Switzerland. One of the leading figures of his generation in Europe, he has written extensively for chamber ensembles, choirs, soloists and the orchestra as well as the theater...
, and Toshio Hosokawa
Toshio Hosokawa
is a Japanese composer of contemporary classical music.-Biography:Hosokawa studied with Yun Isang at the Berlin University of the Arts. Since 1998, Hosokawa has served as Composer-in-Residence at the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. In 2004, Hosokawa became a guest professor at Tokyo College of Music...
.
In 2005, she performed in three songs by the Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic musician Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
, for the soundtrack album
Drawing Restraint 9 (album)
The Music from Drawing Restraint 9 is a soundtrack created by Björk in collaboration with her partner Matthew Barney for his film of the same title. For this project Björk traveled to Japan to study ancient Japanese music...
to Drawing Restraint 9
Drawing Restraint 9
Drawing Restraint 9 is a project by visual artist Matthew Barney consisting of a feature length 35mm film, large-scale sculptures, photographs, drawings, and books. The Drawing Restraint series consists of 16 numbered components and related materials. Some episodes are videos, others sculptural...
, a film by Björk's contemporary media artist boyfriend Matthew Barney
Matthew Barney
Matthew Barney is an American artist who works in sculpture, photography, drawing and film. His early works were sculptural installations combined with performance and video...
, about Japanese culture and whaling
Whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
. Miyata also appeared in the film, playing the shō in one scene.
She has performed in Japan, Australia, the United States, and Europe. Her notable students include Kō Ishikawa.
Discography
- Lachenmann: Das Mädchen mit den Schwefelhölzern. 2 CDs. ECM New Series.
- John Cage Edition Vol 26 - Orchestral Works Vol 3. Mode Records
- Helmut Lachenmann: Das Mädchen mit den Schwefelhölzern. 2 CDs.
- John Cage Edition - Works for Violin 3. Mode Records.
- Czernowin: Chamber Music 1988-96. Mode Records.