© Philippe Stirnweiss
Merging with Nature
Japan's Toshio Hosokawa is Grafenegg's 15th Composer in Residence.
To become one with nature, to merge the self with nature: Toshio Hosokawa's artistic ideal embraces the traditional Japanese theme of the link between nature and man, in particular the ambivalence of this relationship. Hosokawa studied in Berlin, and the tension between Western avant-garde and traditional Japanese culture also characterises his music, which has met with international acclaim: his works have been performed by the world's most prestigious ensembles such as the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestras, Stuttgart Opera and Hamburg State Opera.
As Grafenegg's Composer in Residence, Hosokawa will compose a fanfare to open the festival, where his recent violin concerto will also receive its Austrian premiere. Hosokawa speculates that if he were not a composer, he would be 'perhaps a soprano who can sing Mozart beautifully, or a nightingale'. Whether as a singer, songbird or composer, we welcome Toshio Hosokawa to Grafenegg!
Concert dates of the Co-commissioning partner
- Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra (World premiere) 25 and 26 April 2021
- Hong Kong Sinfonietta (Asian premiere) 22 May 2021
- NHK Symphony Orchestra Tokyo (Japanese premiere) 26 and 27 May 2021
- Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra (Hiroshima premiere) 30 May 2021
- Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra (SOČR) (Czech premiere) 14 June 2021
- Grafenegg Festival (Austrian premiere) 20 August 2021
