Calligraphy for Air and Ground

"It is a piece inspired by the climate and natural features of my hometown, a rural village on the coast of the Seto Naikai (Seto Inland Sea). The elements that make up this work derive from ground, wind, waves and more. This work, however, was not intended simply to describe a natural scene. By transforming and fusing ubiquitous natural phenomena in a variety of ways, I made an effort to describe the inner world of the natural environment from a new perspective. Melodic elements based on Kobushi (a melisma characteristic of Japanese traditional folk song technique) give this work an oriental character. The work utilizes a tonal series based on the name Bartók Béla. This is meant to be a gesture of honor to Bartók, who contributed to the development of music." (Shinsuke Okamoto)

The work won the first prize at the 2020 Bartók World Competition and was chosen as a mandatory composition of the 2021 Bartók World Competition.