Michiko Hirayama

Michiko Hirayama is a japanese singer, famous for her interpretation of Giacinto Scelsi’s “Canti del Capricorno”. Hirayama was born 1923 in Tokyo. Her parents were lawyers and she enjoyed a good education. One of her first musical influencer’s was the composer Fumio Hayasaka.

Hirayama studied musical studies at the Tokyo University of the Arts, in Rome and Salzburg and soon discovered her desire for contemporary music. In Italy she made acquaintance to Giacinto Scelsi in 1957, who later dedicated his “Canti del Caprircorno” (1962-1972) to her. She met him at a concert of Scelsi’s neighbor but didn’t know he was a composer. When Scelsi heard Hirayama singing old Japanese songs on a concert, he asked her if she would be interested in his music. The first work of Scelsi and Hirayama “Hô” was debuted in 1961 at the music festival “Nuova Conconanza”.

Hirayama owns a full score of “Canti del Capricorno” with Scelsi’s handwritten comments and played an important role in the origination process of the 20-song musical cycle. In 2006, at the age of 82, she decided to record the “Canti del Capricorno” again. Michiko Hirayama is famous for her “dirty voice” as she describes it herself and her gift for musical improvisation. Her voice covers four octaves.

References

Musikkonzepte 31: Giancinto Scelsi, München 1983 Neue Zeitschrift für Musik (1991-), 2007, Vol. 168 (3), S. 54: Eine schöpfungsgeschichte: DIE SCELSI-INTERPRETIN MICHIKO HIRAYAMA NIMMT NOCH EINMAL DEN GESAMTEN ZYKLUS «CANTI DEL CAPRICORNO» AUF