Profile: NORIKO IEDA
NORIKO IEDA, now one of Japan’s treasured
soprano voices, began her opera career as;‘Masha’ in The Queen of Spades
directed by a world’s maestro Seiji Ozawa, right after graduating from the
Tokyo College of Music.
She went on to perform at stages produced
by Japan’s such leading music establishments as the New National Theater in
Tokyo, Fujiwara Opera, Nihon Opera Kyokai, the Tokyo Chamber Opera Theater and
the Japan Operetta Society.
She admits her unique opportunities to have
worked with star singers like Giuseppe Taddei, Renato Bruson, Ruggero Raimondi,
Giuseppe Sabbatini, Pietro Ballo, Fiorenza Cedorins, Mariella Devia, and Andrea
Rost.
Also many of her stages were orchestrated by
prominent conductors including Anton Guadagno, Gianandrea Noseda, Alain
Guingal, Gustav Kuhn, Marco Boemi, Taijiro Iimori, Norichika Iimori, Michiyoshi
Inoue, Naoto Ohtomo, Kazushi Ohno, Seiji Ozawa, Tadaaki Odaka, Hikonori
Kikuchi, Makoto Suehiro and Hiroshi Wakasugi.
Backing her brilliant voices and acting
prowess, her profound insights into opera works and interpretation of emotional
bits and pieces have gathered appreciation from the opera directors.
In particular, NORIKO IEDA made her name as
‘Pamina’ in The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflote) at the 5th anniversary concert of
the Yokosuka Art
Theatre as well as ‘Madame Cortese’ in
The Journey to Reims (Il Viaggio a Reims) at
the 5th anniversary concert of the Japan Rossini Society.
She has special attachment to the opera
‘Yuzuru’ (Twilight Crane), composed by Ikuma Dan. It is based on a popular folk
tale which has long been told on Sado Island (Niigata Prefecture) in the Sea of
Japan, where she sang for its title role ‘Tsu’. She played the same role on the
60th anniversary of the Bunkyo Ward Government in Tokyo (September 4, 2007)、in Matsumoto City and Komagane City, Nagano
Prefecture (September 14, 2008 and October 11,2009 in each city). The
performance was also held in Sado City on September 21, 2009 for commemorating the
15th anniversary of the opening of Sado Amusement Grand Hall and the 5th anniversary
of Sado City Government,at Niigata Convention Center “Toki Messe” on September
25, 2010,on July 2010,in Rome and Paris will be a hot topic. May 2012, June
2013 Shinichiro Ikebe composer opera " Yaoya Oshichi " produced
starring. In March 2013 Japan-Vietnam diplomatic relations between the 40th
anniversary of the opera "Yuzuru" and starred in Hanoi, Vietnam
performances. March 2014, Japan Opera Association "Shunkinsh?" its
title role ‘Shunkin” get a high reputation.
Other acclaimed title roles include; Madame
Butterfly, Tosca, Kat’a Kavanova, ‘Mimi’ in La Boheme, ‘Violetta’ in La
Traviata, ‘Michaela’ in Carmen, ‘Nedda’ in The Clowns (I Pagliacci), ‘Adina’ in
The Elixir of Love (D’elisir D’amore), ‘Fiordiligi’ in Thus Do They All (Cosi
Fan Tutte), ‘Donna Elvira’ in Don Giovanni, ‘Rosalinde’ in The Bat (Die
Fledermaus), ‘Hanna’ in Merry Widow (Die Lustige Witwe), ‘Margarete’ in Faust
and ‘Maria’ in The Sound of Music.
At the newly-opened prestigious New
National Theatre in Tokyo, she gained many fans with her charm and depth as
‘Frasquita’ in Carmen, ‘Pedro’ in Don Quixote (Don Quichotte), ‘Anna’ in
Nabucco, ‘Thibault (Tebaldo)’ in Don Carlos (Don Carlo), ‘Annina’ in La
Traviata and ‘Hannchen’ in The Opera Rehearsal (Die Opernprobe).
NORIKO IEDA is always challenging. She sang
Mahler’s Symphony of a Thousand in a subscription concert of the Tokyo Symphony
Orchestra. She also joined such orchestras as; the Tokyo Philharmonic, the
Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, the New Japan Philharmonic, the Japan Shinsei
Symphony Orchestra, the Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra, the Osaka Philharmonic
Orchestra, the Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra, the Kansai Philharmonic
Orchestra, the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra and the Kyushu Symphony Orchestra.
Through these challenges, she has
constantly expanded her wide-ranging repertoire including; Symphony No.9,
Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem and Coronation Mass (Kronugsmesse), Mahler’s
Resurrection (Auferstehung), Mendelssohn’s Hymn of Praise (Lobgesang), Rossini’s Little Solemn Mass (Petite Missa
Solennelle), Schumann’s Requiem and Schonberg’s Moonstruck Pierrot (Pierrot
lunaire).
For those on the wave, her performance is
beamed in radio programs like FM Recital and Best of the Classics by Japan's NHK-FM.
She joined the Suk Chamber Orchestra during its Japan concerts. On stage abroad,
she grabbed hearts of Romanians in Madame Butterfly for the subscription
concert of the Targu Mures Philharmonic Orchestra. In South Korea,
she has become a frequent guest performer for the Seoul National Symphony
Orchestra, the Gangneung Philharmonic Orchestra and the subscription concert of
the Korea Oratorio Singers.
In China, she sang R. Strauss’s Four
Last Songs (Vier Letzte Lieder) for the subscription concert of the Shanghai
Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra. Later, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary
of Japan-China diplomatic normalization, she was invited to Dalian for a commemorative concert.
Her soprano, graceful and beautiful,
coupled with her distinguished singing and acting skills, has captivated
numerous audiences everywhere she sings.
Her first CD is: “Eternamente－Eternally” (wwcc-7462 Nami Records Co.,Ltd.),the
second one is “Natsukashiki Omoi－Yoimachigusa” (wwcc-7535 Nami Records Co.,Ltd.)
and the third one is “Vissi d’arte,vissi
d’amore” (wwcc-7588 Nami Records Co.,Ltd.).
Her web site: www.iedanoriko.com
NORIKO IEDA is a member of Fujiwara Opera, the
Japan Federation of Musicians and serves on the steering committee of the
Japanese Rossini Society.
