From Percussion Instrument Rooms of the World Vol.14 | Berlin, Germany Fumitaka Ono

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A boy buys a drumstick worth 1,000 yen and crosses the ocean.

I bought drumsticks for the first time in my life at GW, JPC, in my first year of junior high school. About 1,000 yenVATERCompany Fusion. Although it was very cheap, I had borrowed drumsticks for practice at school, so this was my first irreplaceable drumstick. After that, I became obsessed with practicing every day. That was the start of my life as a percussion instrument. I never thought that as a young boy, I would go to Germany and write for the JPC newsletter...! I'm still excited as I write this.

●This time, I will introduce the percussion instruments situation in Germany and my own compositions!

German people cherish their country's history. As you walk through the city, you will see historic architecture and art, an opera house and a philharmonic, and you will realize that you are living in the cycle of history in the birthplace of classical music. In the past, classical music was created through the active interaction of contemporary performers and composers. Modern percussion music is no less powerful than the classical music of yesteryear, and new works are being performed all over the world. Even in its homeland of Germany, this spirituality of music has been firmly inherited to this day and age, and here in Berlin in particular, it has become a place where music from all over the world intersects. This stimulation directly influences my percussion instrument sound creation and composition activities.

The thing that had the biggest influence on me when I moved to Germany was that when I first arrived, I was able to study for about two years as a student under Thomas Lutz, a professor at the Berlin University of the Arts and a percussionist with the Deutsche Symphony Orchestra Berlin. We were thoroughly taught the basics of orchestral percussion instruments! The so-called "German Festival". Don't make unclear sounds! The attitude of clearly articulating (pronouncing) each sound. The percussion instruments are not a part of the orchestra, but just one percussion instrument makes the voice of the entire orchestra stand out. Anyway, shocking! After every lesson, I left a huge amount of notes, like a report (lol). Performance and composition are two senses that are connected in my mind, so learning the traditional German performance method had an impact not only on my performance but also on my composition. I will never forget the two years I spent with Mr. Thomas.

After studying percussion instruments in Germany for three years, he finally completed his debut work, ``Clock''.
It was "Speed".

Even though it was my first time writing a small drum solo piece, I won the highest prize in the composition section of the 15th PAS Italian International Percussion Competition. I am proud that this result is the result of my studies in Germany.
In Germany, where history is valued, etudes are also unique to Germany. The timpani are Kruger, Koine, and Bayer.
For Kodaiko, I always study Knauer and A. Wagner. In Germany, the techniques for playing the small drum and timpani have been theoretically established. Even famous etudes from other countries are only used as supplements. By the wayJapanSpeaking of Knauer, the 25th roll etude is famous as a pipe playing competition and audition assignment, but in Germany, the 30th (7th) 6/8 is the standard! It will almost certainly appear in the first round of auditions for orchestras throughout Germany, such as the Berlin Philharmonic.JapanIt's interesting that it requires slightly different performance skills.
I would also like to introduce German onomatopoeia and laws regarding German sounds, but I will omit them here... anywayJapanA different sound culture is living a fresh day!

Lastly, I would like to take this opportunity to tell everyone that you should visit Germany at least once in your life! A strong commitment to the artistry and sound of classical music. Their souls are here! A large airport has recently opened in Berlin, and theJapanI feel that the distance between me and myself is shrinking.
Anyway, I hope the corona virus calms down soon. And once again the world is filled with music
I hope the time will come.... In order to welcome that day, we will work with GermanyJapanPerformance and composition centered on
We will continue to do so! We are currently distributing information through YouTube and Instagram, so please take a look! Thank you for reading.♪

Fumihiro Ono Profile

He has been familiar with piano and guitar since childhood, and started playing percussion instruments at the age of 12. After moving to Germany at the age of 24, he has been based in Berlin, the capital of Germany, with the aim of presenting his works internationally. Graduated from Showa College of Music. Studied percussion instruments under Mr. Satoshi Ishiuchi. Composition is self-taught. Innovative methods of playing and composing percussion instruments
In recognition of the originality of his works, which incorporate unique ideas, he has dedicated his works to professional classical percussionists, and has premiered numerous commissioned works.
``A challenging solo piece that combines the best elements to challenge the performer's technique, master nuance, and captivate the audience.'' (Book review of ``Clock Speed'' on HoneyRock's website)
In 2016, won the snare drum solo (C category) at the 14th PAS Italian International Percussion Competition. From 2017 to 2019, he won the highest prize for three consecutive years in the different composition categories of solo, duo, and ensemble at the same competition (no first place, second and third place). In 2017, he signed a publishing contract with Honey Rock (USA) for the award-winning works "ClockSpeed" and "The Shadow Drumming" and began his career as a composer. In 2018, these two small drum solo pieces, and in 2020, the marimba solo piece “Ko Da Ma” were selected as official pieces for both the small drum and marimba divisions of the PAS Italian Percussion Competition.

In recent years, he has been commissioned to write a concerto for percussion and orchestra by the Suzhou Symphony Orchestra (China), and his works are in the libraries of Showa University of Music and Graz State University of Music (Austria).JapanHe has also had many opportunities to perform his works internationally, including in Europe, America, and Asia. 2019: Presentation of own works and new era percussion
Founded his own music publishing company "F Music" to spread instrumental music. In addition, the entire program will be a solo exhibition of original works, ``Fumiyuki Ono Solo Exhibition,'' and a master class on own works (JPECJapanHe has been actively presenting his works, including holding lectures at JPC (sponsored by the Percussion Instrument Association).
PAS Italy Percussion Competition Winner's Concert2016,2019, Performing Arts Festival 
(PAF) in Berlin 2018 appearance.