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Musicians from Japan, other G-20 nations assemble in orchestra

The orchestra comprised 64 young musicians from 18 countries and regions in the G-20 framework. (Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.)
The orchestra comprised 64 young musicians from 18 countries and regions in the G-20 framework. (Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.)
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17 Sep 2022 09:09:49 GMT9
17 Sep 2022 09:09:49 GMT9

JAKARTA: A newly founded orchestra comprising musicians from the Group of 20 advanced and emerging economies recently performed in Indonesia, which will host the G-20 summit in November.

Japanese musicians, horn player Emi Furukoshi (left) and clarinet player Kenta Iizuka were a part of the orchestra. (Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.)

The orchestra comprised 64 young musicians from 18 countries and regions in the G-20 framework. It was directed by Indonesian composer and pianist Ananda Sukarlan, and included two Japanese.

The “G-20 Orchestra” performed in front of the Borobudur Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site on the island of Java, earlier this month.

As one of the goals of the orchestra was to promote gender equality in the male-dominated field, it included 28 women.

Japanese horn player Emi Furukoshi, 33, was one of the members on the new orchestra. She was picked for what she described as an “unexpectedly large role,” as the horn is often played by men due to the significant lung capacity needed to play the wind instrument with a tubing length of 3.5 meters to 4 meters.

Furukoshi played the instrument with a female horn player from the United States to G-20 culture ministers and others in the audience at the Borobudur performance.

“The horn has a wide range and it is difficult to control the breath,” she said. “Despite the language barrier, we were able to ultimately communicate through sound.”

Clarinet player Kenta Iizuka, 33, was another member of the G-20 Orchestra from Japan. He and Furukoshi were classmates at the Showa University of Music in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo.

“I am grateful for the rare opportunity to play with people from many countries,” Iizuka said. “I hope to make the most of this opportunity.”

JIJI Press

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