Spotlight on… Soprano YASUKAWA Miku
2023/2/22
Soprano singer YASUKAWA Miku was the featured artist in the 13th edition of the Green Park Youth Concert Series. In a carefully chosen repertoire of pieces in five different languages, the audience was captivated by Miku’s powerful and yet controlled vocal performance. Organised by the Embassy of Japan, this series of concerts continues to shine a spotlight on gifted Japanese musicians studying in the UK. Miku was accompanied by pianist Marc Verter.
Having graduated from the Tokyo University of Arts, Miku is currently studying at the Guildhall School of Music and spends her time between the UK and Japan. She has been awarded the prestigious Mai Mutou Prize and scholarships from the Yonden Cultural Foundation, Guildhall School Trust and Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs.
Following her performance, we asked Miku a few questions about her background, inspirations and hopes for the future.
Having graduated from the Tokyo University of Arts, Miku is currently studying at the Guildhall School of Music and spends her time between the UK and Japan. She has been awarded the prestigious Mai Mutou Prize and scholarships from the Yonden Cultural Foundation, Guildhall School Trust and Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs.
Following her performance, we asked Miku a few questions about her background, inspirations and hopes for the future.
Why did you choose these pieces to perform at the concert?
I aimed to make a programme with a variety of songs in many different languages. I chose pieces by my favorite composers, R. Strauss for German, E. Granados for Spanish, Rachmaninoff for Russian, Stravinsky for English, as well as Japanese pieces by Yamada Kosaku and Hayasaka Fumio. The acapella piece, Japanese Bush Warbler (‘uguisu’ in Japanese) is very distinguishable because of its traditional melody, and I feel many guests will have felt a sense of nostalgia while listening to it. I made a point of having a variety of languages for this programme because I wanted to show that this is the UK style, that this is a multicultural country. Since coming to the UK, I have came across a lot of music which was composed in different countries.
Why did you choose to become a soprano singer?
Originally, I wanted to become a musical actor. I was obsessed with classical ballet when I was in primary school all the way to junior high school. Then my mom, who was a piano teacher, recommended me to learn how to sing, so I started taking singing lessons when I was sixteen years old. Then I majored in classical singing at university. However, it has only been for the last 4 or 5 years that I have felt this ambition of becoming an international singer.
Who is your inspiration?
I truly admire Noriko Ogawa, who is an international pianist and a professor at Guildhall, where I am currently studying. She is from Japan and is always very busy performing many concerts worldwide. We play different instruments, but I think she is a wonderful example for my life. I am so lucky to be able to be see her close and thankfully I am always getting good energy and kind words from her.
Can you tell us about an inspiring or challenging experience you had in your career?
The most challenging experience was when I performed Ravel’s Shéhérazade with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra last October. The text was very difficult and long, so it took me a lot of time to study. Although it was nice to have plenty of time after I got the offer and before the concert, it was also hard to work on that piece as many things came up that I needed to focus on as I went through the text.
What are your future ambitions?
I would like to see many different places and people for concerts and get to know them. There is a countless number of fantastic songs and pieces in this world, so I would love to study as many of these as possible.
How have your experiences in the UK influenced your career so far?
My current singing style is based on the UK method, as well as what I have learned in Japan. Also, I am currently witnessing other singers in my generation make their careers here in the UK, so I am always influenced by them as well. The process in becoming a singer here is totally different from what they do in Japan.
What do you like about the UK?
I like that people do not fret about how other people behave, what they wear or what they do. That makes me feel free and comfortable.
What do you do in your free time?
I like to have a nice meal with lovely people, or sometimes go to a park or a farm to see dogs as I am a dog lover!
What kind of music do you like singing?
I feel at ‘home’ when I sing oratorios. At the same time, I really enjoy acting as an opera singer, and I also like to learn about all kinds of beautiful songs. As songs have a lot of different and interesting elements, like the lyrics, the colour of the language, and how the voice interacts with the piano parts. Also, it is very fun to find distinctive features which depend on the country where each piece was composed.
I aimed to make a programme with a variety of songs in many different languages. I chose pieces by my favorite composers, R. Strauss for German, E. Granados for Spanish, Rachmaninoff for Russian, Stravinsky for English, as well as Japanese pieces by Yamada Kosaku and Hayasaka Fumio. The acapella piece, Japanese Bush Warbler (‘uguisu’ in Japanese) is very distinguishable because of its traditional melody, and I feel many guests will have felt a sense of nostalgia while listening to it. I made a point of having a variety of languages for this programme because I wanted to show that this is the UK style, that this is a multicultural country. Since coming to the UK, I have came across a lot of music which was composed in different countries.
Why did you choose to become a soprano singer?
Originally, I wanted to become a musical actor. I was obsessed with classical ballet when I was in primary school all the way to junior high school. Then my mom, who was a piano teacher, recommended me to learn how to sing, so I started taking singing lessons when I was sixteen years old. Then I majored in classical singing at university. However, it has only been for the last 4 or 5 years that I have felt this ambition of becoming an international singer.Who is your inspiration?
I truly admire Noriko Ogawa, who is an international pianist and a professor at Guildhall, where I am currently studying. She is from Japan and is always very busy performing many concerts worldwide. We play different instruments, but I think she is a wonderful example for my life. I am so lucky to be able to be see her close and thankfully I am always getting good energy and kind words from her.
Can you tell us about an inspiring or challenging experience you had in your career?
The most challenging experience was when I performed Ravel’s Shéhérazade with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra last October. The text was very difficult and long, so it took me a lot of time to study. Although it was nice to have plenty of time after I got the offer and before the concert, it was also hard to work on that piece as many things came up that I needed to focus on as I went through the text.
What are your future ambitions?
I would like to see many different places and people for concerts and get to know them. There is a countless number of fantastic songs and pieces in this world, so I would love to study as many of these as possible.
How have your experiences in the UK influenced your career so far?
My current singing style is based on the UK method, as well as what I have learned in Japan. Also, I am currently witnessing other singers in my generation make their careers here in the UK, so I am always influenced by them as well. The process in becoming a singer here is totally different from what they do in Japan.
What do you like about the UK?
I like that people do not fret about how other people behave, what they wear or what they do. That makes me feel free and comfortable.What do you do in your free time?
I like to have a nice meal with lovely people, or sometimes go to a park or a farm to see dogs as I am a dog lover!
What kind of music do you like singing?
I feel at ‘home’ when I sing oratorios. At the same time, I really enjoy acting as an opera singer, and I also like to learn about all kinds of beautiful songs. As songs have a lot of different and interesting elements, like the lyrics, the colour of the language, and how the voice interacts with the piano parts. Also, it is very fun to find distinctive features which depend on the country where each piece was composed.
A video of this interview can be viewed here. Visit the Embassy’s YouTube channel and subscribe now to receive future notifications.
