KIRIKU Handbell Ensemble
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Kiriku Handbell Ensemble is a small "design team" of musicians founded under the leadership of Taiko Otsubo. A Japanese representative of leading-edge handbell performance. Ms. Otsubo - who studied and performed under noted Japanese director Katsumi Kodama - helped to establish handbell music as a concrete genre in the world of classical music in Japan. The members of the group also are skilled in wind and percussion instruments, and together they made their debut as Kiriku in 2004, performing before a sold-out audience at Hamarikyu Asahi Hall.
Kiriku has attracted attention not only because of its unique configuration of only six ringers, but because of the group's technique and musicality. They play a variety of music, including classical, religious, jazz, popular, and traditional Japanese. They actively perform in major music halls around the Tokyo metropolitan area, as well as other venues across Japan, and they regularly perform in collaboration with other instruments and vocal ensembles. They handle five and a half octaves of handbells mostly with only six ringers, and their moving and expressive concerts are popular throughout Japan. Their tours to the United States in 2007 and 2009 were highly praised as "the finest handbell artists in the world," and "equaled only by the finest symphony orchestras. "Kiriku has several CDs and DVDs, television performances, and a growing fan base both in Japan and United States, but their main is to advance the art and quality of handbell music. |
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Taiko Otsubo
大坪 泰子 Blog
Taiko Otsubo is one of the young leading experts, successively breaking up the conventional senses of handbells. Composers dedicated her many original pieces of music in resonation with her will to make handbell music as an established art. Her many performances overseas include the one at Carnegie Hall, New York, the first ever handbell concert there, and the one at the White House, upon invitation by Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Reagan, the ex-First Couple. In 1992, she founded and presided over The Chamber Ringing Soloists (CRS). The group drew keen attention by its totally new performing style and deep musical sensitivity, making itself a pioneer in the world of handbells. The CRS achieved successes both in Japan and overseas; in Europe, through a joint performance with top members of the Wiener Philharmoniker (Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra), and in Japan, through many appearances in TV such as “The Untitled Concert,” “Tetsuko’s Room,” a long-running national talk show, and “Good Morning, Japan,” daily news show by NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation). It also released two CDs, “Resurreccion del Angel” (The Resurrection of the Angel) and “Handbell Bach” through Toshiba EMI. Otsubo won much acclaim also for her writing notes to the CDs. In 2001 she disbanded the CRS, although sorely missed.? After that, she produced concert tours in Japan for SONOS Handbell Ensemble, one of top the groups at the forefront of handbell artistry in the United States. For the tours of 2003 and 2005, she also performed in the group. In 2006 she traveled in the United States to join as a member for a concert tour and recordings, winning the highest praises.
大坪 泰子 Blog
Taiko Otsubo is one of the young leading experts, successively breaking up the conventional senses of handbells. Composers dedicated her many original pieces of music in resonation with her will to make handbell music as an established art. Her many performances overseas include the one at Carnegie Hall, New York, the first ever handbell concert there, and the one at the White House, upon invitation by Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Reagan, the ex-First Couple. In 1992, she founded and presided over The Chamber Ringing Soloists (CRS). The group drew keen attention by its totally new performing style and deep musical sensitivity, making itself a pioneer in the world of handbells. The CRS achieved successes both in Japan and overseas; in Europe, through a joint performance with top members of the Wiener Philharmoniker (Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra), and in Japan, through many appearances in TV such as “The Untitled Concert,” “Tetsuko’s Room,” a long-running national talk show, and “Good Morning, Japan,” daily news show by NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation). It also released two CDs, “Resurreccion del Angel” (The Resurrection of the Angel) and “Handbell Bach” through Toshiba EMI. Otsubo won much acclaim also for her writing notes to the CDs. In 2001 she disbanded the CRS, although sorely missed.? After that, she produced concert tours in Japan for SONOS Handbell Ensemble, one of top the groups at the forefront of handbell artistry in the United States. For the tours of 2003 and 2005, she also performed in the group. In 2006 she traveled in the United States to join as a member for a concert tour and recordings, winning the highest praises.
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Takako
Kojima 小島 多佳子 Blog |
Junko
Kashihara 柏原 順子 |
