On September 17th, the Japanese Culture Center hosted our third annual open house.? Each year, this event brings in local businesses that specialize in Japanese arts or the spread of Japanese culture.? This year the Japanese Culture Center was honored to host two musicians whose musical cultures may not?seem to be compatible. ?With that being said, before their first piece was completed, their passion for their respected countries’ music evinced through their performance.?? The stark differences between the music blended perfectly together that it suggested a new form of music altogether.? The Japanese Culture Center was lucky to receive more information about these talented individuals.
The Hanauta Duo was birthed from a friendship of two young musicians, Olya Prohorova, hailing from Moldova, and Erina Koyasu, from Japan. The idea emerged in 2013, while both were students at the Chicago College of Performing Arts and shared the urge to popularize Japanese and Eastern European music. The blend of Eastern and Western aesthetics resulted in a duo of a delicate and uncommon instrumentation ? violin and flute. The Hanauta Duo performs a variety of styles, from baroque to modern and folk compositions, transcribing tunes from their motherlands. This Fall, Hanauta is coming out with their first cd, ?Songs from the Motherland.?
Both classically trained, Olya Prohorova, on the violin, and Erina Koyasu, on the flute, enjoy a versatile performing career locally and internationally. Having received her primary education in Republic of Moldova under teaching of pedagogue Svetlana Balaescu, Ms. Prohorova traveled to the US to continue her violin studies with Mark Lakirovich at the Chicago College of Performing Arts, Roosevelt University. She is a prizewinner of numerous international competitions in Europe and recipient of several Chicago artist scholarships. Ms. Prohorova has served as concertmaster of CCPA Symphony and performed with a number of different orchestras in North America, Europe and Japan, working under internationally acclaimed conductors such as Jean?Philippe Tremblay, Markand Thakar, Tomasz, Bugaj, Gabriel Bebeselea. Olya also performs in two local Chicago bands as a rock/folk and country fiddler ? Pet Peeve and the Senn Alan Band.
Erina Koyasu was born in Japan and started playing the flute at the age of ten. In 2004, Ms Koyasu won the Student Music concours of Japan in Nagoya City in Japan. She received her Bachelor?s Degree from the Musashino Academia Musicae in Tokyo, where she was awarded the first prize andmany performance opportunities as a young musician while studying with Tomio Nakao (Principal flutist at NHK Symphony Orchestra.) She has participated in several masterclasses with world class flutists throughout Europe and Asia, such as Emmanuel Pahud (Berliner Philharmoniker Orchestra,) Davide Formisano (La Scala, Milano) and Philippe Pierlot (French National Orchestra). In 2013, Ms. Koyasu won the Third Prize at Chicago Flute Club Solo Artist Competition. At the Chicago College of Performance Arts, Roosevelt University, Ms. Koyasu has been studying with Mathieu Dufour, Dionne Jackson, Marie Tachouet.
Check out Hanauta Duo?s performance at the Japanese Culture Center:
Don?t miss your chance to experience them preform live around the Chicago area!
By: Caleb Fair
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