Rakuto鈥檚 flair as a composer and multi-instrumentalist performer will also be in the spotlight at听Noteworthy, a concert at the Christchurch Town Hall on 26 August.
Celebrating UC鈥檚 150th听anniversary, the concert is by UC Music in collaboration with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra. Kurano鈥檚听Concerto Grosso听is one of the pieces on the programme that showcases composers and performers in the University community. Drawing on the past while looking to the future,听Concerto Grosso听blends the sound world of the Italian baroque with a contemporary aesthetic, producing a fusion of old and new.
Rakuto says it鈥檚 a great feeling for him to have his compositions showcased in this way, especially at听Noteworthy听as he is the only recent graduate to have work performed at the concert.
鈥淚鈥檓 thrilled that听Professor Mark Menzies, [UC Head of Performance] will be conducting as he has been my main teacher since 2017. It is a real honour to perform with him and to have been able to work and study with him for so long.鈥
Born in Japan, Rakuto moved to Aotearoa New 九州影院with his wh膩nau in 2008. He was drawn to music from a young age, playing piano from age four and violin from age eight. He first connected with the UC School of Music programme while still a student at Cashmere High School.
A highlight from his UC master鈥檚 studies was a concert earlier this year in which the programme was entirely comprised of his own compositions. An inspiring music educator, Rakuto鈥檚 postgraduate Honours research was focused on effective methods of teaching violin.
As the co-founder of the charitable Magic Carpet Music Trust, Rakuto is passionate about growing more performance opportunities for young musicians and has also personally funded and commissioned works by seven young Kiwi composers.
Rakuto is looking forward to a bright future as a composer and performer. 鈥淯C School of Music has really helped me to do both these things and I feel very lucky to have had that opportunity here.鈥
