Informant38

The Nishikawa Ensemble is a chamber group that explores the frontiers of both traditional and contemporary music. Founded by Kohei Nishikawa, one of Japan's most accomplished players of Japanese and Western flutes, the Ensemble's focus is to create a truly global sound that bridges the often-encountered divide between the ancient and the modern. The repertoire of the Ensemble blends traditional music and instruments of various origins, such as Asian and European, with contemporary pieces written directly for the group. The result is a sound, which is both subtle and evocative, and virtually unique in the world of chamber music.


The Nishikawa Ensemble exists as a collective. The aim is to stimulate creativity and diversity through the interaction of the highly trained and dedicated musicians that makeup the organization. Emphasis is placed on a deep understanding of the performing traditions involved, and a willingness to challenge and extend the conventions of these traditions through collaboration.


An important aspect of this arrangement is the inclusion of a composer within the collective. It permits the Ensemble to have a constant supply of new repertoire composed in direct consultation with the performers, and the composer is assured of performances that truly reflect the nature and intention of the pieces. In addition, the Nishikawa Ensemble is active in commissioning pieces by other composers, and regularly premieres innovative new works.
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If I were to live here, I would want to learn French, and improve my English. And I would have to learn the Western way of thinking, which is very different from the Asian way of thinking. You must understand music with not only your mind, but with your whole body. When I play in a more contemporary style, it is not so easy to understand the music's origins with my whole being. So I definitely do not want to stop working in Japan, but I feel I should spend more days and months here. But there is time for that