The internationally acclaimed Haruka Fujii Trio performed a free in-person concert at Tateuchi Hall on Saturday, October 8, 2023. The Trio consists of percussionist Haruka Fujii, flutist Ray Furuta and violinist Beni Shinohara. They performed traditional and contemporary music from Japan.
We spoke with Haruka Fujii to learn more about her, the trio and what the audience can expect from her performance at Tateuchi Hall.
Haruka Fujii, percussionist
Tell us a little about yourself. How did you begin playing and performing music?
I grew up in Japan as the daughter of influential marimba player Mutsuko Fujii, who contributed to the development of marimba music in Japan. I started playing piano at age three but marimba and percussion were always around as a toy. I switched to being a percussion major during my high school years, then was accepted to an undergraduate percussion department in Tokyo. I further pursued graduate degrees at the Juilliard School and Mannes Music School, then onto a percussionist career till now.
What advice do you have for aspiring musicians?
If you keep doing your best and keep pushing forward, you will get to where you want to be. It might take time, sometimes longer than you want, but eventually you will get there and find what you are looking for.
Tell us about your experience playing with the GRAMMY award-winning Silkroad Ensemble.
It has been 11 years since I started playing with the Silkroad Ensemble. I am still one of the artists and a member of the leadership team. My experience with them has changed many things for me including my purpose for playing music. Before Silkroad, music was how I expressed myself, my feelings and my story. After 11 years, music has become a tool for me to connect to the world, which inspires me to think about what I could do by sharing music.
Tell us about the other musicians that will be performing with you in Tatuechi Hall.
I will be performing with violinist Beni Shinohara, the assistant concertmaster of the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, and flutist Ray Furuta, a soloist, chamber musician and the artistic director and founder of Chamber Music Silicon Valley. They are both great friends of mine, marvelous musicians and beautiful human beings who I love making music with. We are excited to introduce some of our favorite music to the CSMA audience.
What can the audience expect during your performance in Tateuchi Hall?
We have gathered a collection of our favorite melodies, rhythm and compositions from Japan. The program includes a wide range, from a folk song to a masterful composition by representative composers of Japanese contemporary music. The program is filled with repertoires that introduce a rich variety of music from Japan. We also have two brand new pieces written for this trio by the Bay Area local composers, Shinji Eshima and Davide Verotta. Both of their pieces are composed with inspirations related to Japanese culture. We are eager to introduce their new creations to the world!
This concert is supported by a special grant from the Tateuchi Foundation.
