Honorary Member of Marimba Festiva Association – Prof. Keiko Abe – Japan
Marimba Festiva
Homepage: „www.keiko-abe.jp“
Keiko Abe is the legendary marimbist. She has the ability to merge with her marimba: the resulting union produces music with incredible depth of feeling. She represents a perfect combination of virtuoso technique and passionate artistry. Her transformative expressivity, combined with her intense concentration, has created a unique and highly artistic world of the marimba. And she has garnered immense praise and status as an artist who has left her mark on music history, receiving acclaim all over the world. She commands an overwhelming repertoire and appears regularly throughout the world in performances of solo concertos, chamber music, and improvisations.
She is also in demand as a guest lecturer and has given master classes in leading music conservatories in North America, Central and South America, Europe, and Asia. She has also been passionate about the development of the marimba, and her legendary achievement is the completion of the modern 5-octave marimba. By both pioneering new technical skills and expanding the literature, She has transformed what was once considered a primitive “Folk” instrument into a full-fledged concert instrument welcome in any of the most prestigious concert halls. She is the first woman in the world to be inducted into the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame and has received numerous other awards. Her compositions have become the standards of marimba literature and can be heard in recitals by marimbists all over the world. Many modern composers have also dedicated new works to her, and she has inspired and premiered countless new compositions. She holds the position of Professor Emeritus at Toho Gakuen School of Music and serves as a Guest Professor at Nagoya College of Music.
Awards & Activities
Awarded the Fine Arts Festival Award in 1968, ’69, ’71, ’74, 76 and ’89 (Japan)
Awarded the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame in 1993 (USA)
Elected as a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music, 2021
Awarded the Commissioner of the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan in 2022.
Composed over 110 pieces
Commissioned more than 70 pieces
Recorded over 50 titles including CD・DVD・VIDEO
Performed over 200 world premiers
Master classes and teaching at over 120 Conservatories and universities worldwide
Participated in over 60 International Festivals
Concerto Soloist with Orchestra – over 300 concerts
Solo Concert Artist – over 3000 concerts
Chamber Music Performer – over 500 concerts
In concert with jazz musicians – over 50 concerts
Marimba Festiva
Keiko Abe Works
Marimba Festiva
Frogs
MICHI
Variations on Japanese Children’s Songs
Dream of the Cherry Blossoms
Sea of Galilee for Six Mallets
Wind in the Bamboo Grove
Ancient Vase
Memories of the Seashore
Prism
Little Windows
Sylvan Stanzas ~Mountain Stanzas~
Voice of Matsuri Drums
Wind Across Mountains ~for Six Mallets~
Wind Across Mountains ~for Solo Marimba~
Wind sketch
Itsuki Fantasy for Six Mallets
Ban-ka
Tambourin Paraphrase
Marimba D’amore
Ancient Letter
Song of the Seashore
Kazak Lullaby
Piacer d’amor
Alone
Galilee Impression ~for Six Mallets~
Variations on Dowland’s Lachrimae Pavana
Kodama
MICHI Paraphrase
The Song of Trees
The Grace
Song of the Soul
Reminiscence
Memories of the Seashore Ⅱ
Prism ~for Two Marimbas~
Prism Ⅱ
Conversation in the Forest ~for Two Marimbas~
Tambourin Paraphrase ~for Two Marimbas~
Wind Across Mountains ~for Two Marimbas~
MICHIⅡ
Wind Sketch II ~for Two Marimbas~
Reflections on Japanese Children’s Songs II
Reflections on Japanese Children’s Songs II Revised Edition
Wind in the Bamboo Grove II
Improvisation based on Wind in the Bamboo Grove
The Breath of the Tree II
Song of the treesⅡ
Memories of the Seashore ~for Marimba Ensemble~
Tambourin Paraphrase ~for Marimba Ensemble~
Conversation in the Forest ~for Marimba Ensemble~
Wind Across Mountains ~for Marimba Ensemble~
Conversation in the Forest IV ~for Marimba Quartet~
Good Days Long Gone for 6 Percussionists
Marimba Festiva
【Marimba and Percussion Ensemble】
Ban-ka for 4 players
Ban-ka ~for Solo Marimba and Percussion Group~
Wind Sketch III ~for Solo Marimba and Percussion Players~
Wind Sketch IV ~for Two Marimbas and 2 Percussionists~
Tambourin Paraphrase III ~for Two Marimbas and Percussionist~
Conversation in the Forest I ~for Solo Marimba and 3 Percussionists~
Conversation in the Forest ~for Marimba Ensemble, 3 Percussionists and Gamelan Ensemble~
Conversation in the Forest III ~for Two Marimbas and 3 Percussionists~
Conversation in the Forest V ~for Marimba Ensemble and 2 Percussionists
Prism Rhapsody II ~for Two Marimbas and 6 Percussionists~
Prism Variations ~for Marimba Ensemble and Percussionists~
Prism Variations ~for Marimba Ensemble, Timpani and 3 Percussionists~
Reflections on Japanese Children’s Songs III ~for Two Marimbas and Percussionist~
Reflections on Japanese Children’s Songs III ~for Marimba Ensemble and 2 Percussionists~
Reflections on Japanese Children’s Songs III Special version ~for Two Marimbas and Two Percussionist ~
The WAVE Impressions ~for Two Marimas and 2 Percussionsits~
The WAVE Impressions ~for Marimba Ensemble and 2 Percussionists~
The WAVE Impressions ~for Marimba Ensemble and Gamelan Ensemble~
The WAVE ImpressionsⅡ ~for Marimba Ensemble and Percussionists~
The WAVE Impressions ~for Solo Marimba and 2 Percussionists~
The WAVE Impressions duo ~for Marimba & Percussionists~
【Marimba Concerto/Concertino】
Prism Rhapsody ~for Solo Marimba and Orchestra~
Prism Rhapsody 2nd Edition ~for Solo Marimba and Orchestra~
Prism Rhapsody ~for Solo Marimba and Wind Ensemble~
Prism Rhapsody 2nd Edition ~for Solo Marimba and Wind Ensemble~
Prism Rhapsody II ~for Two Marimbas and Orchestra~
Prism Rhapsody II 2nd Edition ~for Two Marimbas and Orchestra~
Prism Rhapsody II ~for Two Marimbas and Wind Ensemble~
Marimba Concertino “The WAVE” ~for Solo Marimba and 4 Percussionists~
Marimba Concertino “The WAVE” ~for Solo Marimba and Symphonic Wind Orchestra~
Marimba Concertino “The WAVE” ~for Two Marimbas and Symphonic Wind Orchestra~
Marimba Concerto “The WAVE Impressions” ~for Solo Marimba and Orchestra~
Marimba Duo Concerto “The WAVE Impressions” ~for Two Marimbas and Orchestra~
Marimba Concerto “the WAVE Impressions” ~for Solo Marimba and Wind Orchestra~
Marimba Duo Concerto “The WAVE Impressions” ~for Two Marimbas and Wind Orchestra~
Marimba Trio Concerto “The WAVE Impressions” ~for Trio Marimbas and Orchestra~
Special Version of Marimba Concerto “The WAVE Impressions” ~for Percussion Ensemble & Orchestra~
Concertino “Wind Across Mountains” ~for Marimba and String Orchestra~
Concertino “Wind Across Mountains” New Version ~for Marimba and String Orchestra~
Concertino “Wind Across Mountains” ~ for Two Marimbas and String Orchestra~
Concertino “Wind Across Mountains” New Version ~ for Two Marimbas and String Orchestra~
Concertino “Wind Across Mountains” ~for Two Marimbas and Wind Orchestra~
Marimba Festiva
【Marimba and other instruments】
In Praise of Nature ~for Marimba and Tape~
From the far side of Earth ~for Marimba and Tape~
Conversation in the Forest II ~for Marimba, Oboe and 2 Percussionists~
MICHI III ~for Marimba and Voice
Memories of the Seashore III ~for Marimba, Percussion and Voice~
The Breath of the Tree III ~for Flute and Two Marimbas~
Song of Whales taped by Teppo Hauta-aho
Prism Rhapsody ~for Solo Marimba and Orchestra or Wind Ensemble
Prism Rhapsody II ~for Two Marimbas and Orchestra or Wind Ensemble
Concertino “Wind Across Mountains” ~for Marimba and String Orchestra~
Concertino “Wind Across Mountains” New Version ~for Marimba and String Orchestra~
The WAVE Impressions ~for Solo Marimba and Orchestra~
Marimba Concertino “The WAVE” ~for Solo Marimba or Two Marimbas and Symphonic Wind Orchestra
She Dies, My Water Lily Tonneke Keiko Abe / Walter van Hauwe
Torrent Keiko Abe / Walter van Hauwe
Sylvan Stroll Keiko Abe / Dave Samuels
Early Spring Keiko Abe / Dave Samuels
Autumn in Nara Keiko Abe / Dave Samuels
Sunday Afternoon Keiko Abe / Dave Samuels
Dream Keiko Abe / Dave Samuels
Labyrinth Keiko Abe / Dave Samuels
Aqua-Harmonia based on “Memories of the Seashore” Keiko Abe / Saburo Ueki / Midori Kubota / Kroumata
A Song Cobalt Blue Keiko Abe / Ney Rosauro
