Top Japanese guitar players to perform at UP Diliman

Independent Philippine Art Ventures Inc. is set to present wonderful contemporary and classical guitar music from three outstanding guitar players from Japan—Tomonori Arai, Eisei Tanigawa and Takashi Endo, with the latter two better known as Duo Trussardi—who will play in a show titled Three, Two, One…Arai! at the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Music’s Abelardo Hall at 5:30 p.m. on March 20.

Arai, the eldest of the three, was born in Shibuya, Tokyo. He started guitar studies at six years old with his father Kazuo. In 1991, he began to take lessons from Yoshinobu Hara. That same year, Arai won first prize at the Junior Guitar, Student Guitar, and Spanish Guitar Music competitions.

In 1992, he entered Cologne Music University in Germany, where he graduated in 1998. He continued to study in the German city of Aachen and finished his concert examinations in 2000. During his stay there, he studied with Tadashi Sasaki, Zoran Dukic and Thomas Müller-Perring.

Tomonori won many prizes at numerous guitar competitions in Europe, including the Austria International RUST 2000. He has held recitals in Germany, Austria, France, the Czech Republic, Belgium, Italy, and the Philippines. He is now expanding his career as a concert guitarist and teacher. Tomonori has also recorded at least five compact discs (CDs).

Dynamic duo

Both born in 1985, Tanigawa and Endo studied classical guitar and music theory under Arai. After becoming interested in classical Brazilian music, especially in the work of composer Egbert Gismonti, they started playing as a duo focusing on Brazilian music.

They have performed all over Japan, including Tokyo, Osaka, Nagasaki, and Kanagawa, and have received rave reviews.

In 2015, they played, with Arai, at the Pattaya guitar festival in Thailand to great acclaim.

Last June, they premiered “Journey to the Far Valley,” composed by Hirokazu Sato, one of the most talented guitar composers in Japan, who dedicated the piece to them.

Last October, they released their first CD, titled Double Roots, featuring both Brazilian and Japanese pieces, prompting Gendai Guitar magazine to hail them as “one of the most talented and sophisticated young guitar duos” in Japan.

As solo players, they have garnered prizes in several local and international guitar competitions in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Manila.

As a duo, they have taken master classes from players such as Duo Melis and Maccari-Pugliese, one of the best guitar duos in the world.

They have also taken private lessons from virtuoso Japanese guitar players Shingo Fujii and Yasuji Ohagi.

For tickets, call Ticketworld at (632) 891-9999 or visit www.ticketworld.com.ph.