The Project - Bonds made of a thousand tones

Part of the International Tsunami Violin Project, Sen no neiro de tsunagu kizuna (Bonds made of a thousand tones), involves a thousand violinists performing in relay on this special 'Tsunami Violin', made in remembrance of the deceased and survivors of the 2011 Japan Earthquake.

New Zealand-born and raised violin and piano duo – the Isomura brothers have been given the greatest privilege to perform on this special instrument for the first time in New Zealand.

The programme comprises of premieres and exclusive arrangements of works by significant and influential Japanese composers including Toru Takemitsu, Akira Ifukube (Godzilla) and Joe Hisaishi (Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle and Totoro). The programme also features a new arrangement of the popular Final Fantasy series for violin and piano.

A one-of-a-kind festive event where the audience will hear both classical and popular music played on the same stage with the Tsunami violin and piano! 

 

The Tsunami Violin  - The Symbol of Hope

On 11th March 2011, a disastrous earthquake and tsunami hit the Tohoku region in Japan. More than 1,700 people died in Rikuzentakata. But for the survivors, a lone miracle pine tree remained standing, as a symbol of hope and strength,  and which now travels the world as a part of a musical instrument.

The miracle pine,  known as kiseki no ipponmatsu,  was the only one that survived the tsunami out of the 70,000 trees that once stood on the coast of Rikuzentakata town. A violin craftsman based in Tokyo, Muneyuki Nakazawa, was granted special permission to use a small amount of the miracle pine to create the Tsunami violin’s sound post, and driftwood gathered from the coast after the tsunami to make the body of the violin. It was made in remembrance of the deceased and survivors of the devastating tragedy.

The goal of the International Tsunami Violin Project is to pass on the history of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami to audiences through classical music.