Statement

We, Yuriko Mukoujima, Iku Hata, and Emy Sakai, have each pursued our careers as string players for many years. Now, we have come together to form the sympathetic string trio “SonaSonoS,” embarking on a journey to explore new horizons.

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SonaSonoS is a female trio featuring a combination that is exceptionally rare on a global scale: the viola d'amore, a period instrument primarily used during the Baroque era, and the Hardanger fiddle, a traditional Norwegian instrument. The group's name, derived from the Esperanto words sona sono meaning "sonorous sound," not

only refers to the rich timbre of sympathetic strings but also symbolizes the harmony between the minds of the three musicians and the resonance between us as performers and our audience.

 

Our journey began with an effort to understand each other's instruments. Although all of them are bowed instruments with sympathetic strings, their characteristics are vastly different. After a long dialogue and exploration, we delved into the essence of each instrument, and when we finally began to glimpse the beginnings of our own methodology, we became keenly aware that many possibilities unfolded precisely because of our differences. This experience felt like a small yet poignant microcosm of an ideal society.

 

We aim to bring out the full allure of our sympathetic string instruments and build a unique musical world of our own. Three of us, each with years of experience in different genres, are determined to amplify the beauty of music by fully expressing our individuality while resonating with our instruments. In addition to original compositions, we will present a wide repertoire ranging from Nordic folk music to works spanning from the Renaissance to the present day, all creatively arranged to highlight the idiomatic qualities of sympathetic strings. Furthermore, we plan to actively pursue collaborations with artists and performers in theater, dance, recitation, painting, and other art disciplines, making the most of the diversity of our repertoire and our skills in improvisation and composition.

 

As we take on this new challenge, we will continue to explore the unknown possibilities of music. We hope that the soundscapes created by SonaSonoS will resonate and reverberate within you.