Ryuichi Sakamoto
When the melancholy melody of "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence" sweeps through, many will recall a scene from the movie in which Takeshi's Sgt. Hara speaks, in shabby English, to Tom Conti's John Lawrence the line that became the title of this 1983 movie.
The legendary Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto acted alongside David Bowie in the film directed by Nagisa Oshima. He also wrote the movie’s score.
The Japanese composer had an exceptionally wide-ranging career. He was, by turns, a synth-pop idol, the composer of both sweeping film scores and quiet, gentle ambient music, and a collaborator with artists such as David Bowie, Iggy Pop, and Bernardo Bertolucci.
As a member of Japan's hugely influential band Yellow Magic Orchestra and as a solo artist, he was a pioneer of electronic pop music, producing songs that influenced early hip-hop and techno.
Sakamoto began playing the piano at 6 and later started writing his own music. As a teenager, he became enamored with the work of Claude Debussy — a composer who himself had been inspired by Asian musical aesthetics, including that of Japan.
To honor Sakamoto, who passed away last year at 71, the Unicorn, a chamber ensemble consisting of violinists An Haojia and Li Jingyi, violist Qiu Yini, cellist Hao Cong, and pianist Chen Cheng, will perform a concert this month, presenting a repertoire of Sakamoto's works.
Audiences will hear numbers such as "Aqua," "Put Your Hands Up," "Rain," and "Tibetan Dance," as well as the movie scores of Bernardo Bertolucci's 1987 movie "The Last Emperor" and Sakamoto's most famous piece, "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence."
These pieces, ranging from light music, Chinese-style, pop, jazz, to classical, reflect the unique talent of this composer.
An, with a master's degree in violin performance from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney, serves as the youngest violin faculty member at the college.
Li, vice concertmaster of the Shenzhen City Philharmonic Orchestra, graduated from the Shenyang Conservatory of Music.
Qiu, a graduate of the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, is a violist with the National Center for the Performing Arts Orchestra.
Cellist Hao, a graduate of the Royal College of Music in London with a master's degree, once served as the concertmaster of the Sichuan Symphony Orchestra.
Chen, who also graduated from London's Royal College of Music, has won many international competitions, including a gold at the Steinway Junior Piano Competition.
Time: 3 p.m., Sept. 22
Tickets: 100-480 yuan
Venue: Mahua Fun Age Hongshan Theater, Longhua District
Metro: Line 4 to Hongshan Station, Exit A1