Ryo Noda is one of most well known Japanese composers of the 20th century. Improvisation I for unaccompanied saxophone was written as a dedication to the legendary French saxophonist Jean-Marie Londieux. It was premiered by Londieux himself in Torondo in 1972 whilst the composer was in his early twenties. Noda's style is a fusion of avant-garde woodwind techniques with the Japanese shakuhachi style of cutting tones and abrupt cadences.
Performance: RHUL Picture gallery, Kyriacos Shionis (Alto Saxophone)

Ryo Noda: Improvisation1 (Kyriacos Shionis)

For Alto Saxophone and live electronics.
Karen Tanaka,  was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1961. At the age of four, she started piano lessons followed by composition lessons at the age of ten.  After studying composition with Akira Miyoshi and piano with Nobuko Amada at Toho Gauken School of Music in Tokyo, she moved to Paris in 1968 to study with Tristan Murail. 
	In 1998 she was appointed as Co-Artistic Director of the ‘Yatsugatake Kogen' Music Festival, previously directed by Toru Takemitsu. Her works have been performed by distinguished ensembles and Orchestras worldwide including the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Los Angeles Philharmonic.
	Tanaka’s love of nature and concern for the environment has influenced many of her works.  In the same manner ‘Nigh Bird’, composed in 1996 is a piece for Alto Saxophone and tape that explores the lyrical side and the warm tone of the classical saxophone based on “Tanaka’s highly individual musical world that makes clear reference to the image of seduction so often associated with the saxophone” (Delangle, Night Bird, Recording, 1998). 
	As Tanaka stated, “ Night Bird is a love song filled with tender whispers of lovers (where she) tried to ‘weave’ colours and perfumes into the sound of the saxophone and tape within the musical material.” The piece was commissioned by and is dedicated to Claude Delangle who recorded the piece two years later. 

-“turn off the lights and listen… listen to the night bird’s voice”-
								


Karen Tanaka - Night Bird (Kyriacos Shionis)

Original Composition

The piece:
“Anamnesis”, for piano and voice is a piece based on a poem by Charles Baudelaire, the “Cracked Bell”. “Anamnesis” tells the story of someone that dies unexpectedly and describes the journey of life before and after death. It is a programmatic piece in which different states of life are presented in ten different musical themes.

Performers:
Voice: Magdalena Sladowska
Piano: Yukino Katashima


Anamnesis - for solo voice and piano

Royal Holloway Philarmonic Orchestra conducted by Christopher Tarrant
Soloist: Kyriacos Shionis

Composer: Pedro Iturralde
Arrangement: Paolo Zannini 



Suite Hellenic - for Tenor Saxophone and String Orchestra

An Experimental/electronic piece for Flute and Electronics
2 short movements (approx. 1min each)

Original Composition
All rights reserved.
If you are interested to perform this piece please email me for the track and music. 

For Flute and Electronics

Born in Nicosia in 1992, Kyriacos Shionis received guitar lessons from an early age. After the age of twelve he discovered his love for the Saxophone. At the age of fifteen he auditioned successfully for the Nicosia Music School where studied saxophone with Y.Miralis.

After graduating from Royal Holloway, University of London with a Bachelor of Music (Hons), Kyriacos continuous as postgraduate performance student at RHUL where studies with Kyle Horch. Having his heart set on performing, Kyriacos has given a series of saxophone performances in Cyprus, Greece, Spain, Germany, Italy and the UK. 

Kyriacos is showing interest in the contemporary classical music for saxophone and collaboration with experimental composers. More recent performances include a set of world premiers by composers such as Spinosa, Colasanti, Kozakou, Miklos, Lacaze, Seara, Olive, Street, Mulvey, Capdevila for saxophone quartet in collaboration with the "Foundation Adkins Chiti: Women in Music", as well as a celebrating commission by J.Yarde for the London Jazz Festival’s 21st birthday. Kyriacos has also performed as a soloist with the RHUL Philharmonic Orchestra after winning a place in the Annual Concerto Competition.

Kyriacos has also participated in series of Master-classes by saxophonists such as A.Kun (China), M.Albonetti (Italy), R.Peterson (USA), C.Koffman (USA) and M.Ibrahim (Canada) and regularly performs with ensembles around London as freelance musician as well as member of the Armonia Saxophone Quartet and Undergraduated Big Band.

Future engagements include the world premier of a solo work for Tenor Saxophone by David Keckley as well as a work for Saxophone and tape by Mulvey.

Kyriacos Shionis

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