“Opening my eyes wide”, something I’ve always been aware about whenever I had a photo shooting in an interview. But this time, I was told by a first-rate photograph to “concentrate on my mouth”, and, when this photograph released the shutter, here was the result.

Yes, this is really me! These pictures were taken in Amsterdam, during a photo shoot for the cover of my new CD, which will be released in October.

Since Holland is the great nation of bicycles, I had the idea to try one out while heading towards the photo session. The only problem was that the bicycles were made to fit the size of normal Dutch people, which was quite huge for me, a Japanese woman! I therefore had a hard time reaching its pedals…

The photographer, Marco Borggreve, takes many pictures of all the famous classical musicians. His first aspiration as a child was to become a guitarist, but after getting injured, he shifted towards photography. Despite working all over the world today, he remains a loving father, and tries to stay in Amsterdam as often as possible to see his three young children as they wake up in the morning.

The pictures he takes not only reflect his warm and sincere character, but also distinguish each artist’s special characteristics and capture their facial expressions at such a perfect timing that a peaceful atmosphere is instantly created.

So, you will be seeing these pictures on programs and flyers of my upcoming concerts… hoping that you will like the new version of Momo Kodama!

With photographer Marco Borggreve and hair/make up artist Ms. Sanne

Marco’s website:
http://marcoborggreve.com

Heavy snow had been forecast on the day I was to arrive at Tokyo from Paris, and I landed there wearing my fluffy coat, boots, muffler, and a hat as if I were to go to the moon.

On the contrary, the weather in Tokyo was fine. With a temperature of 15℃, I felt somewhat destabilized, but decided to enjoy the blue sky which you can hardly see in Paris, and headed to rehearsal.

Chamber music was scheduled this time at the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan in Ueno, with the wonderful players of the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. The program consisted of the French impressionist composers Debussy, Ravel and Chausson.

The nickname of the string quartet I played with is “Pause Quartet”. For this quartet known for their endeavor to practice, taking the middle, a pause (break), is also very important. And as always, it’s a happy coffee time with lots of rare sweets and snacks.

And! From Mr. Shogo Kariyazaki, one ikebana artist whom I do like and respect, gorgeous flowers were delivered to the backstage room. I often go to Mr. Kariyazaki’s exhibitions in Paris or Tokyo, and get much inspired by his prodigious sensitivity toward what “beauty” means. With this heart-warming work of art of purple tinged deep pink roses, “Shogo Elegant”, the tasteless backstage room lightened up instantly, literally blooming!

I enjoyed playing at the concert as well, and had a party in the backstage afterward with champagne! Cheers!! 

横山さん、小林さん、及川さん、吉岡さん、長谷部さん

Paris was unusually covered with snow this January. In situations like these, Paris people often go to exhibitions in order to warm up their hearts. What greatly impressed me this month was, well, all from Japan!

The first event was the Hiroshige/Van Gogh Exhibition held at La Pinacothèque in Place de la Madeleine. Their pictures were put in comparison in one of the buildings, a project to see how much Van Gogh was influenced by Hiroshige. Hiroshige’s delicate lines are, façon de Van Gogh, violently expressed…

Well that indeed was interesting in itself, but I was especially touched by an alignment of Hiroshige’s Ukiyoe that I saw in the next building. His concern toward even the smallest details, a mystery like a meditation through nature. And the hospitality and kindness of the Japanese — I thought I was being impressed many a time because of the very fact I was Japanese, but it came out the foreign people around me also were in admiration.

Hiroshige was born in 1797, the same year as Schubert. Schubert expressed the theme of “the traveler” through his music and lieder, just as Hiroshige in Japan praised the beauty of nature in his country.

The second event was at the Louvres, where a film about the sculptor Susumu Shingu was screened. Shingu-san, called the “Poet of the wind”, is a relative on my mother’s side. On the ceiling of the Kansai airport, in front of Hermes in Ginza, and the bell of Kunitachi College of Music… his works which go round and round riding upon the wind can be found all around the world. Some of them have recently been exhibited at the park of the Tuileries in Paris.

“Sinfonietta of Light” in the park of the Tuileries

Shingu-san, in his childhood, is said to have been doing all sorts of experiments with water even in his bath, or played with the wind whenever he went outside. At the present time and 70 years of age, he’s only turned “seven years old times ten”, and he is the kind of man who constantly has a dream and makes it true, says his friend and architect Renzo Piano. His current dream is the “Breathing Earth” (an art center created merely with wind-power). Wind energy — an exhibition hall, a theater, a concert hall, a restaurant… a place like heaven for artists. When you actually sit in front of his works, and, according to the direction or the force of the wind, watch how they move as if they were dancing and diving in various tempos, or flying, you eventually feel like becoming one with nature. And you even get to “see” the wind, which you had so far only felt as “cold” or “strong”, in a different way. Come to think of it, catching a sense of what can’t be seen, perceiving the expanse of nature — that means there’s something in common with music there!

http://breathing-earth.de/

http://susumushingu.com/

With Shingu-san