Thank you to everyone who attended the lecture on the history of vocal art with an emphasis on the Baroque style. it was an honer and a pleasure to share some of my research on this topic with colleagues who study vocal technique and interpretation with me, and to perform songs from different eras. I hope that this knowledge will be useful in preparing for the next concert with baroque music. I am glad that the day of the lecture coincided with my 55th birthday. Thank you for being together!
Sincerely and gratefully:
Ph.D. Neli Koycheva
Welcome to Rameau Theater – Kobe,
on February 3th, 2024 – Saturday,
at 2:00 p.m.
The teacher of classical singing – Ph. D. Neli Koycheva
will give a lecture with Subject:
“The History of the Vocal Art – some important moments and features”.
During the lecture, examples will be projected and songs will be performed.
Onishi Noriko Sensei- piano – will also participate.
After the lecture there is time for tea, cake, and free talks .
The Bulgarian city of Plovdiv has a thousand-year history and amazing beauty. In Plovdiv, ancient and modern styles and arts intertwine and create a unique atmosphere. This attracts artists from all over the world to seek ideas and create in this place. Ph.D. in musicology and musical art Neli Koycheva, a Bulgarian alto singer, who lives in Japan, created a tradition every year in Plovdiv to present classical and contemporary Japanese music, accompanied by other traditional Japanese arts. In September 2022, the event was titled Kimono : Tradition and Future – Exhibition, modern Japanese Songs, Ballet and Glamor. It was supported by the Embassy of Japan in Sofia and was the first event of the Festival “Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria” 33rd edition. The exhibition of kimonos and clothes made of kimono silks was presented by Mrs. Snezhana Nakatani, who also lives in Japan . The Japanese ballerina Fumi Penchev san, from Osaka, who is currently a prima ballerina at the State Opera in Plovdiv, made a special appearance in the event. A very beautiful synthesis between music, dance and kimono was realized. The Bulgarian audience was deeply captivated by the beauty and message of this artistic moment. The event was accompanied by huge audience and media interest.
We sincerely thank you for your interest and attention to the music we perform. The concert is part of a workshop on French music and French pronunciation, with teachers: Snejana Nakatani Sensei – French language, and Ph.D. Neli Koycheva – Interpretation. With Appreciation to all participants.
A French music workshop was held on June 3 at the Rameau Kobe Collegium. teachers in the workshop were Ph.D. Neli Koycheva – vocal pedagogue and guest teacher Ms. Snejana Nakatani – French teacher. It was a great opportunity for the singers to improve their pronunciation while performing French music. It was a very emotional day for all of us. In a unique way we immersed ourselves in the atmosphere of Debussy, Faure and other French composers. Thanks to all the singers who participated in the workshop. I thank Ms. Nakatani for her kindness in teaching French diction and pronunciation to the singers of the Rameau Kobe Collegium. Expect our concert with French music in July.
On May 13th 2022 we, the performers of the Collegium Rameau-Kobe, presented the baroque opera La Nemica D’Amore fatta Amante. During the past years of work we have come a long way of preparation and work. We performed 10 festivals with baroque music, workshops and more. Each of us expanded our knowledge and training, and thus,naturally we came up with the idea to present a whole baroque opera. We also wanted to find a work that was not performed in Japan. Giovanni Bononcini (1670/1747) is an extremely interesting composer. Nowadays, several of his works are very popular, but his operas are little known and even less performed. Probably the reason is that this is a very beautiful, but difficult to perform music. The music is a picture of intertwined voices and instruments. The opera begins with an rich and beautiful orchestral introduction. Then, in front of the listener, many-voiced recitatives and complex arias alternate for more than two hours. The singers overcame long phrases, gradual melodies and restrained tones. The imitative principle between voice and instrument prevails – beauty, elegance and magnificence, but also a major challenge for each of us. We have been working very intensively for more than a year. Our preparation went in several plans: studying the score, translating the text from Italian into Japanese, lectures on baroque by a leading specialist from Tokyo, interpretation and philosophical view of the period and the work, studying the mythological elements in the libretto. As a result of this serious and thorough preparation, we created our own vision for the work, and some very original ideas arose during the performance of the opera. A very important for the realization of this project that in the Collegium Rameau was that we have the appropriate voices to perform by the parties in the opera. The brilliant sopranos of Tae Nakano San and Noriko Nakano San took on the role of Clori. The beautiful and warm mezzo-soprano voice of Michiko Hanibuchi San, as well as the Bulgarian contralto – Nelly Koycheva, played the role of Tirsi. For the role of the satire Fileno we invited the remarkable singer and artist- bass-baritone Nobuhiro Shinobe San. The orchestral part was performed by magnificent baroque performers who gave us their time and talent, and helped us in the preparation and realization. On the cembalo was one of the most famous and amazing cembalists in Japan – Emiko Nomura Sensei. The viola da gamba parts by Makiko Ueda San and Ayumi Nakanishi San were performed with incredible mastery; and the brilliant sound and bravura solos in the violin part were recreated by Hiroyuki Ueda San and Tomohiko Yokoyama San. Special thanks to Rioichi Okada San for the original translation of the entire libretto of the opera from Italian into Japanese. Thank you all for the beautifully performed music, for the artistry and for the successful realization of the whole idea. I would like to thank Michiko Hanibuchi San from the bottom of my heart about her support of the project. We are happy to be a part of this beautiful event together.
The feedback after the event was very positive. I will quote the words of the Director of Centre for International Friendship in Kobe: “The concert was so great. Thank you and your colleagues so much. Songs and music were so beautiful. I’m very happy to be there. All my daily stress was gone because of wonderful romantic sounds. I’m looking forward to the next one!”