BIOGRAPHY OF HARMONIA OPERA COMPANY
(1981 – 2006)

Harmonia Opera Company was created by Emiko Iinuma in 1981 for the purpose of promoting an artistic bond between Japan and America. Many Western composers have been inspired to write operas with a Japanese background, and Japanese composers have answered this trend by assimilating a Western musical style into their works. Our company presents operas that embody both styles of this mutual musical inspiration. We perform, in the greater New York area, operas, and musicals which portray Japanese culture in a manner enjoyable and intelligible to American tastes. United States performances of YUZURU, MADAME CHRYSANTHÈME, IRIS, MADAMA BUTTERFLY, GOMBO GITSUNE, OSHO TO KOZO, FOX AND OTTER, A STORY OF THREE WOMEN, AMANJAKU AND PRINCESS URIKO, TOJIN OKICHI, and FLOWER DRUM SONG have made it possible for us to realize these goals. Harmonia Opera has presented the world premieres DANNY BOY by Toya and NEW HOPE by Robin Berger, in addition to the American premiere of the Japanese opera AYAME inspired by prominent novelist Yukio Mishima at Merkin Concert Hall with an excellent review by The New York Times. In 1996, Harmonia Opera celebrated its 15th Anniversary at Sylvia and Danny Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College with World Premieres of THE STREETS OF JAPAN, arranged by Robin Berger, and a Japanese Version of Mozart´s "THE MAGIC FLUTE" with orchestra, costumes, and scenery. In 1995, Harmonia Opera Company performed in the Venezuela International Festival. In 1998, Harmonia Opera appeared at Miller Theatre of Columbia University with two American premieres: SAYONARA and WARRIOR'S RED JACKET. In 1998, Harmonia Opera Company presented the Premiere of PRINCESS KAGUYA at Sylvia & Danny Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College. Harmonia Opera Company was awarded a grant from the Japan Foundation, Center for Global Partnership, and gave a Lecture & Demonstration with a performance of the opera AMANJAKU AND PRINCESS URIKO at Middlebury College, Vermont on July 28, 2000. On October 11, 2000, Harmonia Opera had a tremendous success in presenting the World Premiere of HAIBO in English, written and composed by Christian McLeer. On November 26, 2000, Harmonia Opera performed Highlights from Opera and Musicals in Guatemala. On November 1, 2001, Harmonia Opera Company celebrated its 20th Anniversary with highlights of four operas presented over the past 20 years: MADAMA BUTTERFLY, THE STORY OF THREE WOMEN, HAIBO, and the Japanese Version of Mozart's THE MAGIC FLUTE, with special performances by the renowned Metropolitan Opera singers Lucine Amara and Russell Christopher at Merkin Concert Hall. On October 26, 2002, Harmonia Opera presented the American Premiere of KESA AND MORITO at Merkin Concert Hall. On November 5, 2003, Harmonia Opera presented the World Premiere of Noh Opera KANTAN at Kaye Playhouse, Hunter College. On October 5, 2004, Harmonia revived HAIBO, written and composed by Christian McLeer, at Merkin Concert Hall. The 24th Anniversary performance with American Premiere of NASU NO YOICHI on November 3, 2005, at the Merkin Concert Hall was the great success with enthusiastic audience's standing ovation. Harmonia Opera Company presented the "25th Anniversary Performance Presentation of American Premiere of KUROFUNE", on November 6, 2006, at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, composed by a great pioneer composer Kosaku Yamada, and script by American Journalist Percy Nowell.  It was a tremendous success and received standing ovation as well as an excellent critics reviews.  It was interviewed and filmed by the Time & Warner Cable & TV, reviewed by Opera News, Ongaku No Tomo (Friend of Music), Brooklyn View, and Shukan New York (Japanese Weekly New York Life Newspaper.)
28 minutes long documentary on the KUROFUNE was broadcasted on April 5, 2007, 1:30 p.m., by the Time Warner Cable TV Channel 34 & 67 as well as Website: www.bcat.tv which could be seen in Japan as well..


(Review by Richard Malone of Time Warner Cable TV)


• Board of Directors •

  • Mdm. Lucine Amara, Honorable Chairperson
  • Roy Innis, Honorable Vice Chairman
  • Emiko Iinuma, Founder and President
  • John Guditis, EVP & Treasurer
  • Sumiko Guditis, Executive Secretary
  • James Demster, Music Director & Conductor
  • Emiko Iinuma , Stage Director
  • Gloria Starr Kins, Director of Public Relations
  • Sumiko Guditis, Art Designer
  • Haruka Ashida, Assistant Artistic Director
  • Osamu Inoue, Web Designer
  • Tazuko Hosaka, Committee
  • Nitomi Nozawa , Committee
  • Marie Saito , Committee
  • Toshnobu (T.J.) Kayama , Committee

• Honorary Advisors •

  • Mme. Lucine Amara
  • Dr. Hal Bogolub, PhD
  • Mme. Janet Bookspan
  • Dr. Seiko Shimizu Chamberlain
  • Mr. Richard Contiguglia
  • Mr. Jiro Ishizaka
  • Mr. Toshio Kiso
  • Mrs. Sanko Kajihara
  • Mr. Koretsugu Kodama
  • Mr. Sadahel Kusumoto
  • Mr. Jeong-Jin Lee
  • Mr. Isao Matsuura
  • Mr. Noboru Sato
  • Mr. Robert Sherman
  • Dr. Mitsugu Shimmyo
  • Mr. Patrick Tavernia
  • Mr. Akira Yokouchi
  • Professor Joseph Rene Yost
  • Mr. George Yuzawa

• Acknowledgements •

  • Honorable Michael R. Bloomberg, Mayor of New York City

  • Honorable Ambassador Ryozo Kato, Consul General of Japan

  • Madame Lucine Amara, Metropolitan Opera
  • Mr. Roy Innis, National Chairman of The CORE
  • Mr. Motokazu Yoshida, President & CEO --- Mitsui & Co. (U.S.A.), Inc.
  • Mr. Motoatsu Sakurai, President & CEO --- Mitsubishi International Corporation
  • Mr. Shinichi Hirabayashi, President, The Mitsui USA Foundation
  • Ms. Janet Garland, Program Administrator, Mitsui USA Foundation
  • Board of Trustees of the J. C. C. Fund
  • Mr. Yoroku "Joe" Adachi, President & CEO --- Canon U.S.A., Inc.
  • Mr. Hiromi Gunji, Chairman of the J. C. C. Fund
  • Mr. Tsutomu Karino, Executive Director & Secretary of the J. C. C. Fund
  • Mr. Atsushi Nishijo, President & CEO --- Sumitomo Corporation of America
  • Mr. Isao Matsuura, Advisor to the President --- Board of Directors, Bank of West
  • Mr. Sadahei Kusumoto, Chairman Emeritus Minolta & Committee of J. C. C. Fund
  • Mr. Naokazu Kurihara, President & CEO --- JVC Company of America
  • Mr. Toshio Kiso, Senior Partner, Kiso & Tanaka LLC
  • Mr. Nobuharu Ono, President & CEO --- NTT DoCoMo USA, Inc.
  • Dr. & Mrs. Teruo Hirose
  • Ms. Tazuko Hosaka
  • Mr. & Mrs. Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi Restaurant, Port Washington, NY
  • Mrs. Sanko Kajihara
  • Mr. & Mrs. Noboru Sato
  • Japan Information Center, Consulate General of Japan
  • Asahi Shimbun
  • Japanese American Association of New York
  • Shuukan New York Seikatsu Inc.
  • Japion News

 

 

 

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