Yuki Isami Releases Debut Solo Album, Rives
Classical flautist Yuki Isami (TEKE::TEKE) will release her debut solo album entitled Rives at Joseph-Rouleau Hall tonight (Friday, May 17, 2024). The concert will be followed by a cocktail reception offering an authentic Japanese gastronomic experience, thanks to a collaboration with sake sommelier Nico Fujita and Japanese chef Tomokazu Murakami. Together, they will prepare delicious Japanese bites accompanied by a tasting of privately imported artisanal sakes.
Hailing from Japan, Yuki Isami discovered her passion for art at a young age. Trained in flute, she deepened her musical knowledge during her stay in Montreal, where she studied at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal. It was there that she developed a particular interest in traditional Japanese instruments (shinobue, koto, and shamisen), as well as Nihonbuyo dance, and visual art history such as prints, and origami.
With over 20 years of experience playing in Quebec’s symphony orchestras as a member of the Orchestre symphonique de Drummondville and the Orchestre symphonique du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, and the recipient of the 2022 Félix for Album of the Year – Other Languages with her group TEKE::TEKE at the ADISQ Awards, Isami offers a captivating debut album that explores the evolution of Japanese music in contact with the West. From traditional to contemporary music, through the classical period and Western composers influenced by Japanese culture, Rives offers a musical journey both geographical and temporal.
Accompanied by Japanese-American pianist Natsuki Hiratsuka and Montreal percussionist Patrick Graham, Isami takes us through her flute’s enchanting range of possibilities, as well as that of her traditional Japanese instruments such as the shinobue, koto, and shamisen. The pieces, subtly revisited, evoke a dialogue between cultural heritage and artistic renewal.
“Through this album, I wanted to reflect on my own life journey. Having grown up in Japan and lived in Quebec for over 20 years, I feel a constant cultural duality. Montreal and Tokyo are both my homes. With my music, I aim to illustrate how the meeting of two cultures creates a new artistic form, where each enriches the other to create something unique and authentic,” explains the musician.
The production of this album was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Canada Council for the Arts. The recording took place in McGill University’s prestigious Pollack Hall.
First off care to introduce yourself to our readers?
My name is Yuki Isami. I am a Japanese classically trained flautist living in Montreal. I am the second flutist and piccolo player of the Drummondville Symphony Orchestra and the Saguenay-Lac Saint-Jean Symphony Orchestra. I also play various types of music including Japanese surf rock with the band TEKE::TEKE and Japanese traditional music, played with traditional instruments such as shinobue, koto, and shamisen. In my free time, I am also part of an artistic swimming team.
Tell us a bit about your recent release.
I wanted to make an album which is a representation of my life. I was born in Japan but after University, I came to Montreal to deepen my study of classical music. Paradoxically, I got interested and discovered Japanese culture from outside of Japan.
Rives (French word for Shores) is an album exploring the evolution of Japanese music in contact with the West. From traditional to contemporary music, through the classical period and Western composers influenced by Japanese culture, Rives offers a musical journey both geographical and temporal. It really mirrors my journey composing simultaneously with Eastern and Western culture, both now being part of who I am as an artist, but also as a person.
How do you typically go about the songwriting process? Do you have a specific method or creative routine that you follow?
On Rives, I did the arrangements to incorporate traditional Japanese instruments in existing pieces. I listened to these pieces over and over and recorded different ideas.
When I was doing this research, taking a bath was my preferred way to relax and be able to start anew and find new ideas between my recordings. Being part of a rock band and being in regular contact with other musicians from different backgrounds, be it jazz, latin music or movie scoring, really helped me to be able to improvise and compose these arrangements. In classical music, the emphasis is more on attaining perfection in interpretation and finding the purest sound from your instrument, so composing arrangements was a whole new process for me.
Looking ahead, what are your plans for supporting this new release? Are there any upcoming tours, music videos, or additional content that fans can look forward to in connection with this project?
This summer, I will present this show at the Festival de Jazz de Montréal and also the Festif in Baie-Saint-Paul. I’m keeping all the options open as I want to present my music to different kinds of public. I think that my show can please the fans of classical music which will discover some pieces from the Japanese traditional repertoire, but I also think that the fans of Japanese culture can be introduced to classical and even contemporary music. During the show, I take the time to present each piece and give some context to make sure that every spectator can appreciate each song even if it’s their first time being in contact with this kind of music.
Looking back on your musical career, is there a particular moment or accomplishment that you consider a turning point or a highlight?
– For a long time I was a freelance orchestra player, but winning two auditions in a short period of time was really encouraging for all my activities. Personally, it was a kind of validation as a classical flautist player, a goal that I had been pursuing since my childhood. To my own surprise, it also gave me the confidence to deeply accept that I was also more than that as an artist, I was also a traditional Japanese instrumentist and a rock band artist. It really pushed me to go forward with the project of this album.
Last but not least, it’s time to pay it forward, what upcoming band or artist would you recommend your fans check out?
I would recommend Kutsi Merki, a unique Quebecois group that plays Bulgarian-inspired music, I really like their usage of unusual rhythms which baffled me the first time I heard it. In a totally different style, I would recommend SamWoy, the solo project of Sam Woywitka, known for his work with Half Moon Run and Patrick Watson. With his first solo album Awkward Party, I was moved by his sincere and instinctive music.Â