Lunchtime Recital: Ensemble Canon

A Lunchtime Recital and an opportunity to hear a Japanese  Trio perform Japanese songs and Western songs at St.Dunstan-in-the-West

 

Ensemble Canon (Canon means “Flower Sound” in Japanese) is a vocal ensemble consisting of 2 singers: soprano Toshiko Matsudaira, mezzo soprano Yoko Yokoyama, and pianist Yoshiko Toyonaga. The group’s 2001 concert in London, supported by a grant from the Japan Foundation, was well received showcasing the beauty of Japanese song. 2017 sees their 8th visit to London.

 

Ensemble Canon holds concerts in the UK to contribute towards the mutual understanding between the UK and Japan.  They sing Japanese songs; selection including art songs, lyrical songs, folksongs and also European beloved songs including works by Mendelssohn and Schumann.

 

This project is supported by The Tana Trust (Charity No 268534) in London.

 

Ensemble Canon was organized in 2000 in Osaka. It is a vocal ensemble consisting of three Japanese musicians – Toshiko Matsudaira soprano, Yoko Yokoyama mezzo soprano, and Yoshiko Toyonaga pianist.  The singers are principals with the Osaka Light Opera Company and Kobe Opera Company.  Yoshiko Toyonaga, the pianist, served a leading function in performing operas as a repetitris and gets high evaluation from many conductors and performers.  Ensemble Canon is very popular in Japan because of its extensive repertoire and vividly staged performances. In 2001 Ensemble Canon performed concerts titled “Japanese Songs” at Burgh House in London and at Finchcocks Musical Museum in Kent. It was invited by The Tana Trust and supported by a grant from The Japan Foundation,  The group held seven subsequent concerts at the same venues in London and in Kent since that time, showcasing the beauty of Japanese songs in London and in Kent.