Bassoonist Yoshiyuki Ishikawa, a professor and chair of the woodwind area from the University of Colorado at Boulder, gave a lecture at TNUA on March 26 at the invitation of the Department of Music.
Six bassoon students also got a chance to hone their skills under the instruction of Prof. Ishikawa through renditions of works by Beethoven, Kalliwoda, Bozza and Bitsch.
Prof. Ishikawa, who is also chairman of the Asian Double Reed Association (ADRA), noted that when performing a piece of music, one must know the style of its composer.
The performer must also have a good grasp of the tempo, speed and volume, and make adjustments to the way of interpreting the work to reflect the specific style it belongs to.
Some may be played with a little exaggeration, and others more subtly, he said.
The bassoonist specializes in the performance of solo and chamber music and has performed throughout the United States, as well as in Europe, Asia, Oceania and South America.
He has taught at many famous schools of music and conservatories in the world, such as St. Petersburg Conservatory in Russia, Tokyo School of Music, Australian National Academy of Music, and Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts.
He has taken part in many music festivals and conferences, including the Tokyo Double Reed Festival, Australia's Townsville Chamber Music Festival, and numerous performances during annual conferences of the International Double Reed Society (IDRS).