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                    ~ KUNIKO KANAWA VOCAL MUSIC PROFILE ~

 

   Kuniko Kanawa is a Lyric soprano, Spinto/Dramatic Soprano, Dramatic-coloratura, and Mezzo-Soprano.

   She began classical voice training in 1995. After immigrating to the United States in 1998, she joined O’ahu Choral Society in Hawaii and performed with Honolulu Symphony Orchestra numbers of times, including the movie premier Pearl Harbor coordinated by Walt Disney Company which took place in Pearl Harbor on the battleship. After completion of Associate of Arts degree in Music, she planned to transfer to four years University to major in voice. However, for deeply concerning the critical state of the traditional Japanese cultures dying out, she chose the path to preserve them as her life-time career.

  

   She yet continued private lessons with Mrs. Shigemi Matsumoto of California State University, however eventually had to take a break to focus on succeeding them. After her traditional Japanese cultural career flourished and settled in several years, she came back to music once again. She studied with Mrs. Marya Basaraba in Los Angeles and performed numerous times in California philharmonic chorale, and Redlands Opera under her guidance, as well as Pasadena master chorale and Lyric Opera of Los Angeles. In addition to singing in chorus of Madama Butterfly by Redlands Opera, she also performed an apprentice Geisha role and worked as a Japanese stage director, Kimono decorum/motion instructor, and Kimono dresser for all the cast members.

  

   After moving to Maryland in 2011, she studied with Mr. Orlando. J. Spikes, became a member of Baltimore canon, and have sung a soloist with them as well as other venues.

   Her Opera lead role includes Lisa in La Sonnambula, Clorinda in La Cenerentola, Nicklausse in Les contes d’Hoffmann.

   Her Operatic repertoires are Un bel di vedremo from Madama Butterfly, Come scoglio from Cosi fan tutte, O mio babbino caro from Gianni Schicchi, Non so piu cosa son and Porgi amor from Le nozze di Figaro, Sovra il Sen la man mi posa, Ah! non credea mirarti and Ah! non giunge from La Sonnambula, Elle A Fui from Les contes d’Hoffmann, Quando Men Vo from La Boheme, Ach, ich, Fuhl’s from Die Zauberflote, Der hölle rache/Queen of the Night's Aria from Magic Flute, Vissi d'arte from Tosca, Habanera from Carmen, Song to the Moon from Rusalka.

   Her Oratorio repertoires are Verdi’s Requiem, Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion and He shall feed his flock of Handel Messiah.

   Her Chorus repertoires are Handel Messiah, Verdi Requiem, Beethoven No. 9, Carl Orff Carmina Burana, and so on.

 

   She also sings other classical pieces, such as Christmas songs, National Anthem of the Japan and America, pop, contemporary, and folk songs.

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