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!”
Dear friends, Happy New Year! I wish everyone a very good, happy and peaceful year! On December 18th we performed a long awaited concert. For the last two years, we have all been faced with the task of keeping ourselves healthy and at the same time practicing our profession as singers. It was difficult, but we succeeded. Thank you all for your trust and for the measures we followed together. I want to thank Tae san for the brilliant organization of the concert, and I also thank our great pianists Onishi Sensei and Mrs. Kondo. Thanks to all participants for the beautiful and emotional performances. Everyone touched my heart. Thanks to all the singers for giving their best. Together we all created a remarkable concert. The Hall was full of guests who left happy and full of impressions. There was a gradation in the program. We presented a rich variety of musical styles and composers. We sang in so many languages: Japanese, Italian, French, Russian, Norwegian, and more. Together we will continue to discover new musical horizons and present wonderful works to our audience. With love: Nelly Koycheva
On September 2, 3, and 4 in Plovdiv Bulgaria, an exhibition-concert was held in three consecutive evenings on the theme: Kimono-history, elegance and a sense of eternity. This was the first event of the Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria 2021. The organizers of the event were Dr. Nelly Koycheva – producer of the concert and Snezhana Nakatani – producer of the exhibition, together with the Embassy of Japan in Sofia. The place of the event was a cultural center – Tracard Museum, where the ancient mosaics from the Roman period of the city of Plovdiv are located. Plovdiv is the oldest city in Europe – more than 6000 years old. It is the age of the mythical Troy, with the difference that Troy is only history and legend, and Plovdiv is a living and beautifu city. The event featured 3 concerts with 12 famous and beautiful Japanese songs, a lecture on the kimono, beautiful porcelain, online presentations for the tea ceremony, ikebana and calligraphy. The main task was to present to the Bulgarian audience the beauty and finesse of Japanese art. There was a large audience on all three evenings. The impression of the combination of Japanese art with ancient mosaics was unique and mystique. A meeting of two histories. The feedback from the Embassy of Japan in Bulgaria, as well as from the press, was also very positive. There is an invitation for the event to be repeated next year in Sofia. It was an honor and a great pleasure for us to bring a piece of Japanese culture to Bulgaria, to our hometown – Plovdiv.
On 31st of August, 2021 in Bulgaria the great
opera star Sonya Yoncheva together with Maestro Placido Domingo performed an
unforgettable concert. The event took
place in Sofia, in front of the Alexander Nevsky Church. Over 6,000 spectators had the opportunity
to enjoy the highest opera art.
I had the happy opportunity given to me
personally by Sonya Yoncheva to be on the front line, and to experience some of
the strongest emotions in my life. It is
no secret that I am Sonya’s first vocal teacher. Together we took the first steps on her path
as a singer.
Today
Sonya Yoncheva is one of the best singers in the world of the opera. But she is an extremely noble person and never
forgets her teachers. Sonia gave me an
invaluable moment that stays in my heart forever by introducing me to Maestro
Placido Domingo as “My Professoressa “.
No one can imagine the excitement I experienced
when Maestro Domingo said that our vocal work with Sonia was perfectly
done. This is a moment that happens once
in a lifetime and stays in the heart forever.
展覧会プロデューサー ; Snejana中谷 コンサートプロデューサー ; Neli Koycheva –
Kimono and Japanese traditional music in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, 2,3,4th of September 2021 Exhibition-concert First event of “ Days of Japanese culture in Bulgaria”. Snejana Nakatani- producer of the exhibition Neli Koycheva- producer of the concert
