Profile:  Toshiki Usui studied at the Tokyo University High School for Fine Arts, Tokyo University for Fine Arts, and Salzburg Mozarteum (Austria). Toshiki Usui made his acclaimed international debut after winning the Cantu International Competition (Italy), and has since been concertizing extensively, playing throughout Europe,U.S.A, the former Soviet Republics, Central America, the Middle East, and Asia.

He has presented charity concerts under the aegis of the U.N. for the Palestinian Refugee Camps. Since 2003, Mr. Usui is based in Vienna, centering his activities in Europe while continuing to perform worldwide.

Usui has garnered particularly high acclaim for his performances of contemporary works. He received the Donemus prize for the best performance of a contemporary work, given by Holland Music Sessions, and in 2006, a special prize for contemporary art given by the Viennese society for the advancement of contemporary art, TAMAMU.

Q1. Compared to Japan, an aging society with less youth, many of Asian countries have large ratio of young generation. This is one of the reason that Asia is rapidly developing in both cultural and economic ways. What do you think of “youth” and its meaning, within the classical music community which has been developed on tradition and established as a valuable cultural element in Western societies?

Usui:  It was not so simple and easy to listen to the classical music until recently, when music downloading or YouTube services enabled casual listening of the classical music.   Of course, it had been possible to find CD of your request at stores for purchase, or order it via internet.  If you wished to listen to the music in better environment and performance, it meant to visit the concert by the performer of the CD.  That was the reality of listening to the classical music.

Today, the internet and information technology allows us listen to the music at any time, any moment you felt like.  The streaming technology enables real-time listening of the performance at home. 
  The musicians also acquired tools to globally broadcast his/her performance via internet without any boundary.

Those who can adapt to such rapid changes are young generations, while the older generation would hesitate to adapt the new technology and its new custom.   However, the flexible adaptability allowed develop a new market produced by those young people who had never listened to the classical music—consequently, the audience of the classical music has been broaden again. 

  There, “tradition” might not present, in terms of the custom so common among past generations—the way to listen to the classical music, the media the classical music was conveyed, and the approach, the attitude, and the understanding of the meaning of the classical music.  The new, transformed sense of value toward the classical music has been developed, as if rock or pop music has developed.

Q2.  Classical music requires to read and reproduce the sound based on the score left by composers. To understand and “express as his/ her own “music performance, do you think “age” or “generation” would affect the process?

Usui:   When those composers of the classical music wrote music—for example, when Beethoven lived in the late 18th to early 19th century,  there was no car, nor airplanes.   Transportation was via walking, or by carriages.  

The tempo instructed in the music is based on the lifestyle and values of those days.   Inevitably, those 19th century composers never could imagine the speed of airplanes flying beyond 1,000km/h simply because there was no airplanes.  The fastest speed they could experience was the speed of carriage, which might have been maximum 40km/h.  

Today, we might imagine faster speed, the speed of a car travelling at 100km/h on highway—if not the speed of airplane flying at 1,000km/h.   In that sense, the “fast” tempo indicated in the music note would be quite different in times.   This might be an extreme case, but the speed of the transformation and paradigm shift has been much faster today—therefore the age and the generation difference could give more influence than before.   New interpretation, or new performance would be developed, and it would be inevitable. 

Of course, it is essential to know and understand composer’s culture, lifestyle and the context of his country, however the time changes.

Q3.  If “youth” can affect and make difference in reading or performance of music, what kind of difference does that make?  You also are the part of “young generation” in classical music community—what kind of difference do you find yourself by comparing to the former generation?

Usui:  it is similar to the last question, but the fact is that the tempo of the performance of Chopin’s etudes has become faster even at the competition, as well as the accuracy.  This might be because of more severe competition among younger generation, and demand of the society has become excessive.  No one could have imagined one musician perform all the composition of Chopin in one day, playing music from the morning till the night with just a few intermissions.   This might be the consequence of such tough music education and competition among younger generations.

The difference from the past musicians and today’s musicians would be the flexibility of the interpretation of a composition, probably because of such learning environment.   Also, anyone can travel to other countries at ease, perform music, or perform music together with the musicians of that country.  Breathing the air of the new country would influence the interpretation and the performance of the music without knowing.  

  So far, I have performed in 25 countries.  However, this would have never been possible if I had been born 50 years ago—unless I were a super star in pop music field.  In that sense, I have to say I am lucky to be born in such time.

Q4.  As a Japanese, do you find any difference between yourself and those Western musicians, since classical music has been developed in the Western world?  If you find any, what kind of difference is that?

Usui:   There are particular masters of the composition—in Austria, it is Mozart, in Germany it is Bach, and in France, it is Debussy.  European musicians should have the pride of inheriting their DNA as they perform.  Japanese chef, or French, Chinese chef would think their cooking of their own culinary culture as the best—it would be similar among musicians.  Unfortunately Mozart nor Bach are Japanese—thus I do not have such sense of pride.

Q5.  For establishing classical music community in Asia, what would be the important element to be required?

Usui:  Japanese Sushi would transform itself into California role with avocado in the US.  I do not enjoy it much but there are many big fans of this new Sushi.  It is the same with the classical music, without valuing too much on tradition.  With high price, you can eat the top class Japanese Sushi at any country, which is the same case with the classical music. 

However, for building up the fan base and the wider market, it is necessary to provide something new like California role.  The classical music might value on tradition, and some interpretation and performance might upset those who value the tradition.  Still, we might need to accept certain new interpretation of the classical music—and the flexibility of the younger generations, and generous understanding of the elder generations would be necessary.  The matching of the understanding among those would enable wider acceptance of the classical music. 

Q6.  Mr. Usui has been actively performing at Syria, and the refugee camp in Palestine.  They might not be too familiar with the Western classical music.  Under such harshness of the daily lives, especially for younger generation in those places, what kind of influence the classical music can give?  I would appreciate if you can tell us about your thought, and the theme of your activity.

Usui:  Ironically, somehow, today’s musical instruments originate from the Middle Eastern areas, traveled to the North and brought into the Western culture.  The DNA of the sound of those instruments might have descended down to the Middle Eastern people, too.  

Music is said to be the common language.  Grammar, explanation, understanding is not necessary for experiencing music—sounds, melody, harmony would convey messages even if you are closing your eyes.  Any country or region has developed its own song or dance, recognizing the power of music.  

There are some pieces of music performed in joy or sadness—even at the area at war or conflicts.  When music is performed, it is the quiet, peaceful moment.   It is influential and effective if the music can remind them of those peaceful days, and provide calm moment in life.  

I visit those refugee camps in Palestine or other countries  in hard time and perform music for wishing them to remember the peaceful time through my music.   I will visit any countries as much as I can—and I am grateful if anyone can support my activities.

Interview : Keisuke Ushida / Kei Sato

Profile:  Toshiki Usui studied at the Tokyo University High School for Fine Arts, Tokyo University for Fine Arts, and Salzburg Mozarteum (Austria). Toshiki Usui made his acclaimed international debut after winning the Cantu International Competition (Italy), and has since been concertizing extensively, playing throughout Europe,U.S.A, the former Soviet Republics, Central America, the Middle East, and Asia.

He has presented charity concerts under the aegis of the U.N. for the Palestinian Refugee Camps. Since 2003, Mr. Usui is based in Vienna, centering his activities in Europe while continuing to perform worldwide.

Usui has garnered particularly high acclaim for his performances of contemporary works. He received the Donemus prize for the best performance of a contemporary work, given by Holland Music Sessions, and in 2006, a special prize for contemporary art given by the Viennese society for the advancement of contemporary art, TAMAMU.

Q1. Compared to Japan, an aging society with less youth, many of Asian countries have large ratio of young generation. This is one of the reason that Asia is rapidly developing in both cultural and economic ways. What do you think of “youth” and its meaning, within the classical music community which has been developed on tradition and established as a valuable cultural element in Western societies?

Usui:  It was not so simple and easy to listen to the classical music until recently, when music downloading or YouTube services enabled casual listening of the classical music.   Of course, it had been possible to find CD of your request at stores for purchase, or order it via internet.  If you wished to listen to the music in better environment and performance, it meant to visit the concert by the performer of the CD.  That was the reality of listening to the classical music.

Today, the internet and information technology allows us listen to the music at any time, any moment you felt like.  The streaming technology enables real-time listening of the performance at home. 
  The musicians also acquired tools to globally broadcast his/her performance via internet without any boundary.

Those who can adapt to such rapid changes are young generations, while the older generation would hesitate to adapt the new technology and its new custom.   However, the flexible adaptability allowed develop a new market produced by those young people who had never listened to the classical music—consequently, the audience of the classical music has been broaden again. 

  There, “tradition” might not present, in terms of the custom so common among past generations—the way to listen to the classical music, the media the classical music was conveyed, and the approach, the attitude, and the understanding of the meaning of the classical music.  The new, transformed sense of value toward the classical music has been developed, as if rock or pop music has developed.

Q2.  Classical music requires to read and reproduce the sound based on the score left by composers. To understand and “express as his/ her own “music performance, do you think “age” or “generation” would affect the process?

Usui:   When those composers of the classical music wrote music—for example, when Beethoven lived in the late 18th to early 19th century,  there was no car, nor airplanes.   Transportation was via walking, or by carriages.  

The tempo instructed in the music is based on the lifestyle and values of those days.   Inevitably, those 19th century composers never could imagine the speed of airplanes flying beyond 1,000km/h simply because there was no airplanes.  The fastest speed they could experience was the speed of carriage, which might have been maximum 40km/h.  

Today, we might imagine faster speed, the speed of a car travelling at 100km/h on highway—if not the speed of airplane flying at 1,000km/h.   In that sense, the “fast” tempo indicated in the music note would be quite different in times.   This might be an extreme case, but the speed of the transformation and paradigm shift has been much faster today—therefore the age and the generation difference could give more influence than before.   New interpretation, or new performance would be developed, and it would be inevitable. 

Of course, it is essential to know and understand composer’s culture, lifestyle and the context of his country, however the time changes.

Q3.  If “youth” can affect and make difference in reading or performance of music, what kind of difference does that make?  You also are the part of “young generation” in classical music community—what kind of difference do you find yourself by comparing to the former generation?

Usui:  it is similar to the last question, but the fact is that the tempo of the performance of Chopin’s etudes has become faster even at the competition, as well as the accuracy.  This might be because of more severe competition among younger generation, and demand of the society has become excessive.  No one could have imagined one musician perform all the composition of Chopin in one day, playing music from the morning till the night with just a few intermissions.   This might be the consequence of such tough music education and competition among younger generations.

The difference from the past musicians and today’s musicians would be the flexibility of the interpretation of a composition, probably because of such learning environment.   Also, anyone can travel to other countries at ease, perform music, or perform music together with the musicians of that country.  Breathing the air of the new country would influence the interpretation and the performance of the music without knowing.  

  So far, I have performed in 25 countries.  However, this would have never been possible if I had been born 50 years ago—unless I were a super star in pop music field.  In that sense, I have to say I am lucky to be born in such time.

Q4.  As a Japanese, do you find any difference between yourself and those Western musicians, since classical music has been developed in the Western world?  If you find any, what kind of difference is that?

Usui:   There are particular masters of the composition—in Austria, it is Mozart, in Germany it is Bach, and in France, it is Debussy.  European musicians should have the pride of inheriting their DNA as they perform.  Japanese chef, or French, Chinese chef would think their cooking of their own culinary culture as the best—it would be similar among musicians.  Unfortunately Mozart nor Bach are Japanese—thus I do not have such sense of pride.

Q5.  For establishing classical music community in Asia, what would be the important element to be required?

Usui:  Japanese Sushi would transform itself into California role with avocado in the US.  I do not enjoy it much but there are many big fans of this new Sushi.  It is the same with the classical music, without valuing too much on tradition.  With high price, you can eat the top class Japanese Sushi at any country, which is the same case with the classical music. 

However, for building up the fan base and the wider market, it is necessary to provide something new like California role.  The classical music might value on tradition, and some interpretation and performance might upset those who value the tradition.  Still, we might need to accept certain new interpretation of the classical music—and the flexibility of the younger generations, and generous understanding of the elder generations would be necessary.  The matching of the understanding among those would enable wider acceptance of the classical music. 

Q6.  Mr. Usui has been actively performing at Syria, and the refugee camp in Palestine.  They might not be too familiar with the Western classical music.  Under such harshness of the daily lives, especially for younger generation in those places, what kind of influence the classical music can give?  I would appreciate if you can tell us about your thought, and the theme of your activity.

Usui:  Ironically, somehow, today’s musical instruments originate from the Middle Eastern areas, traveled to the North and brought into the Western culture.  The DNA of the sound of those instruments might have descended down to the Middle Eastern people, too.  

Music is said to be the common language.  Grammar, explanation, understanding is not necessary for experiencing music—sounds, melody, harmony would convey messages even if you are closing your eyes.  Any country or region has developed its own song or dance, recognizing the power of music.  

There are some pieces of music performed in joy or sadness—even at the area at war or conflicts.  When music is performed, it is the quiet, peaceful moment.   It is influential and effective if the music can remind them of those peaceful days, and provide calm moment in life.  

I visit those refugee camps in Palestine or other countries  in hard time and perform music for wishing them to remember the peaceful time through my music.   I will visit any countries as much as I can—and I am grateful if anyone can support my activities.

Interview : Keisuke Ushida / Kei Sato