SAKURA BANA de Ryota NOMURA

A graduate of the Senzoku Gakuen College of Music, Ryota tells us about his career as a musician, his style as a composer, his inspirations and his musical influences. He also presents his work : Sakura BANA.

L'histoire de Ryota NOMURA 

1- What is your background as a musician?

As a child, I took singing and piano lessons. At the age of 12, I started playing saxophone in a school band. After graduating from Senzoku Gakuen College of Music, I studied in France with Jerome Laran. I currently play saxophone and teach, conduct, arrange and compose.

 

Can you describe your style as a composer? What are your musical inspirations and influences?

All the music I have heard so far is my style. Not only classical music, but also pop music and world music. I am particularly influenced by Irish music. The one I'm aiming for is simple and delicate, but definitely not boring to listen to. The inspiration comes from my memories of travels and walks I have taken. Often it comes to me while I'm taking a shower.

... Written during the health crisis

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Introduce us to your latest work Sakura Bana. In what year did you write it?

I wrote it in April 2020 while staying home because of the COVID-19 epidemic. It took me about two hours from the conception of the first melody. This year was a very special year, but I wrote it thinking that the cherry blossoms (nature) would be in full bloom and the four seasons would remain unchanged.

 Sakura-Bana means cherry blossom in Japanese. Sakura reminds Japanese people of the passage of time, encounters and separations. It is a piece that entrusts various feelings to cherry blossoms using the Japanese scale. The long notes express "the unchanging nature", the eighth notes "the swaying of feelings", and the sixteenth notes "the falling of the petals" which is the most beautiful moment of Sakura..

Is it important for you to include your Japanese origins in your compositions?

I don't think it's very important, but I think my background has been influenced by the intonation of the mother tongue and the living environment. This is the first time I write music using a Japanese style scale.

 

IMD 1191 Sakura-Bana pour Saxophone alto et piano

IMD1239 Sakura-Bana pour Saxophone ténor et piano

YouTube Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RC0tPNkofnM