On An Endless Road Itō Noe And The Women Composers Of Her Time

A unique opportunity to hear renowned singer and biwa player Akiko Kubota in the UK, in a programme of music by and about trailblazing Japanese women for International Women’s Day 2024. 5 - 9 March 2024 London, Huddersfield, Manchester, Leeds Music by: Kōda Nobu, Yoshida Takako, Toyama Michiko & Francesca Le Lohé Performed by: Akiko Kubota (voice & biwa), Midori Komachi (violin), Yura Zaiki (piano)

‘On an Endless Road: Itō Noe and the Women Composers of Her Time’ premiered in Tokyo in December 2023. Hera, an intersectional feminist opera company, is excited to be presenting a UK tour in March 2024, in association with Illuminate Women’s Music. It is Akiko Kubota’s first visit to the UK. For the tour, she will be joined by top UK-based musicians violinist Midori Komachi and pianist Yura Zaiki.

Kubota plays the satsuma biwa, a Japanese stringed instrument originally played by samurai and traditionally used to accompany songs chronicling the achievements of warriors in battle.

The new song cycle, ‘On an Endless Road’ written especially for Akiko Kubota by British composer Francesca Le Lohé celebrates the brief life of a brave and radical woman: writer and feminist anarchist Itō Noe (1895-1923), who was killed by Japanese state forces when she was just 28.

Alongside this new work, the concert, also curated by Le Lohé, features music for violin and piano by three of Noe’s contemporaries who broke new ground writing in the Western Classical tradition. Kōda Nobu (1870-1946), was one of the very first Japanese composers to write in the European classical tradition. Toyama Michiko (1913-2006) forged an international career and reputation, and Yoshida Takako (1910- 1956), a feminist and pacifist, refused to write militaristic music and was jailed for her pacifist principles in 1940.

In 2015, composer Francesca Le Lohé received a Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation Scholarship and relocated to Japan to study Japanese instruments, including the biwa. Her opera "The Key" won the prestigious Keizo Saji Prize in 2019, and the national Asahi Newspaper has described her as “an outstanding British talent”.

Composer and curator, Francesca Le Lohé said: “I think Itō Noe was fearless - not only because she managed to write, work, live and love in the face of constant police observation, with no financial security and in physical danger, but because she wasn't scared of trying new ways of living, exploring new philosophies and not being afraid to try something and fail. She was young, absorbing ideas whilst she formed her own views, and I would like to have seen how she would have developed if her life hadn't been cut so short.”

Le Lohé chose words from Itō’s own writing to tell her story. She said:
“At first, Akiko and I were quite overwhelmed by the wealth of writing Itō has left behind. As it is a piece for biwa, I knew I wanted to include a 'battle scene', detailing a dramatic event in her life, but also to present some of her philosophy and convey her passionate character. I hope that across the three movements, you can get a sense of Itō and the incredibly rich life she led.”

Talking about the Japanese women composers in the programme, violinist Midori Komachi (who is herself also a composer) said: “It’s interesting to see how they drew inspiration from something that is ‘other’ than their own, in terms of genre or culture. For example, the influences of Electronic Music as heard in the performance techniques of Michiko Toyama’s pieces.

This integration is indicative of the societal context, where Western musical influences held prominence in Japan, but at the same time, it might signify a deliberate departure from societal norms, representing a form of artistic escapism. Frequently faced with the challenge of having their voices marginalized, these compositions serve as expressions of their resilience and determination to carve out a meaningful space for themselves in a society that often sought to silence them.”

Komachi added: “I feel that it is my role as a musician working between Japan and the UK to bring these hidden notes to life, and convey their depth and message to a wider audience.”

As well as performances in London, Huddersfield and at the prestigious Howard Assembly Room in Leeds, the tour includes a performance at Musica Festival at the University of Manchester, which is curated by students. As part of the festival, Akiko Kubota and Francesca Le Lohé will also be offering a workshop for composers who’d like to try writing for the biwa. The tour is generously supported by the Japan Foundation and the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation.