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Motoko Tanaka . The magic sounds of harp.Motoko Tanaka is a Japanese harpist educated at Tokyo University of the Arts. She gave numerous concerts and recitals in Japan and abroad, both as soloist, as a duet player with another harpist, with a flute, and with a violin. Ms. Tanaka also appeared in a trio for the harp, flute, and viola, and in a quintet for the harp, flute, violin, viola and cello. She played with the Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra when it joined the Wien Philharmonic Orchestra on a tour of Japan conducted by Yutaka Sado in 2004 and with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra on a tour of Japan conducted by Zubin Mehta in 2010. |
She provided the music for the movie ‘Ran’ directed by the world-renowned Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. Ms. Tanaka has arranged various types of music for the harp as you can hear on her CDs. Now she is the premier harpist with various orchestras such as the Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra, the Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra. |
Selected Recitals and Concerts:
| Date of Performance | Place of Performance | Choice of Programs/Composers |
|---|---|---|
| Mar. 2003 | Istituto di Cultura “Casa Giorgio Cini,” Ferrara, Italy | Chant de Linos / Jolivet (Quintet) |
| May 2007 | Osteria Ronchetto, Lugano, Switzerland | Quatre Préludes / Tournier |
| Jun. 2007 | Università Terza Età “Alessandro Volta,” Como, Italy | Sonata III / Naderman |
| Sep. 2009 | Kaiservilla of The Habsburg, Bad Ischl, Austria | Cantabile / Paganini with Maestro Takaya Urakawa (vn) |
| Dec. 2009 | Zichron, Israel | Sonata / Donizetti with Lior Etan (fl) |
| Feb. 2010 | Teatro Carducci, Como, Italy | Ballade / Hasselmans |
| Apr. 2010 | Teatro Sociale, Como, Italy | Sakura Sakura / Japanese Old Song arranged by Josef Molnar |
| Dec. 2010 | San Fedele Church, San Fedele Intelvi, Italy | Canon / Pachelbel |
| Gen. 2011 | Auditorium San Fedele, Milano, Italy | “The Sea in Spring”, fantasy for Harp arranged by M. Tanaka |
Selected Events and Concerts Participated:
| Date of Performance | Orchestra / Location | Conductor | Major Program/Composer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun. 1985 | Sapporo Symphony Orchestra | Neumann, Václav | Vyšehrad (Symphonic Poems “My Country”) / Smetana |
| Nov. 1989 | Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal | Dutoit, Charles | L’Oiseau de Feu 1910 (The Fire Bird 1910) / Tchaikovsky |
| Sep. 1999 | Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra | Simonov, Yuri | Manfred / Strauss R. |
| Oct. 1999 | Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra | Inbal, Eliahu | Die Walküre / Wagner |
| Apr. 2000 | Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra/Wien Philharmonic Orchestra | Kobayashi, Kenichiro | Ein Heldenleben op.40 / Strauss R. |
| May 2000 | Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra | Wilson, Keri-Lynn | Concerto di Orchestra / Bartók |
| Oct. 2001 | Sapporo Symphony Orchestra | Otaka, Tadaaki | Star-Isle / Takemitsu |
| Jun. 2002 | Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra | Bertini, Gary | Bolero / Ravel |
| Feb. 2003 | Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra | Barshai, Rudolf | Symphony No.5 / Shostakovich |
| Apr. 2003 | Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra | Fournet, Jean | Symphonie Fantastique / Berlioz |
| Oct. 2003 | Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra | Atzmon, Moshe | Symphony No.9 / Mahler |
| Apr. 2004 | Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra/Wien Philharmonic Orchestra | Sado, Yutaka | Symphonie Fantastique / Berlioz |
| May 2004 | Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra | Bertini, Gary | Symphony No.8 / Mahler |
| Dec. 2005 | Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra | Emmanuel, Plasson | Symphony op.20 / Chausson |
| Jan. 2006 | Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra | Oono, Kazushi | Symphony No.5 / Shostakovich |
| Aug. 2006 | New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra | Hirokami, Junichi | Tableaux d’une Exposition / Moussorgsky |
| Nov. 2006 | Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra | Imbal, Eliahu | Symphony No.11 / Shostakovich |
| Dec. 2006 | Sapporo Symphony Orchestra | Eliska, Radomil | Scheherazade / Rimsky-Korsakow |
| Mar. 2007 | Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra | Chaslin, Frédéric | Symphonie Fantastique / Berlioz |
| Dec. 2007 | Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra | Imbal, Eliahu | Symphony No.6, No.7 / Mahler |
| Apr. 2008 | Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra | Imbal, Eliahu | Symphony No.8 / Mahler |
| Feb. 2009 | Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra | Brabbins Martyn | Swan lake & Nutcracker |
| Oct.2009 | Kyushu Symphony Orchestra | Eliska Radomil | Vysehrad (Symphonic Poems "My Country")/Smetana |
| Jun. 2010 | Tokyo MetropolitanSymphony Orchestra | Inbal Eliahu | Symphony n. 2/ Mahler |