Dai Fujikura, born in Osaka in 1977, moved from Japan to Kent, UK, at age 15 to study music at Dover College, despite initially wanting to move to Germany to become a 'great composer'.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Dai Fujikura believes music has no language barrier and can even have manipulative power, a realization that emerged from his experience playing piano at Dover College.
Compositional Technique
For his 'Okeanos' cycle, Dai Fujikura aims to build an imaginary instrument by combining Western instruments like oboe, viola, and clarinet with traditional Japanese instruments like koto and sho.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Dai Fujikura consciously avoids 'Japaneseness' in his scores to prevent exoticism and the creation of 'decorative museum pieces,' aiming for music that is neutral and without borders.
Album & Artwork
The cover artwork for this album was created by Natalie Braune, a graphic design student at Central Saint Martins, who focused on the idea of what music would 'taste like' by photographing abstract details of food.
Composer Biography
Dai Fujikura has received numerous international awards, including the Huddersfield Festival Young Composers Award, a Royal Philharmonic Society Award, the Internationaler Wiener Composition Prize, and the Paul Hindemith Prize.
Compositional Technique
In 'Secret Forest', Dai Fujikura creates a forest of the imagination where instruments are not separate entities but fused, with string players grouped on stage and wind instruments placed throughout the auditorium.
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