BCMG’s Blossoming in Birmingham concert welcomes
CBSO Chief Conductor Kazuki Yamada [pictured] to the city
 BCMG present a special concert to welcome Kazuki Yamada to Birmingham, in his new role as Chief Conductor and artistic advisor for
CBSO
 A programme inspired by Japanese composers and the natural world, part
of the 2023 BCMG in Bloom series

Birmingham Contemporary Music Group present Blossoming in Birmingham on 29
April at CBSO Centre, Birmingham; a special concert to welcome Kazuki Yamada to the
city, in his new role as Chief Conductor and Artistic Advisor to the City of Birmingham
Symphony Orchestra.
Kazuki Yamada spent much of his life in Japan before moving to Europe, where in
addition to his new role with CBSO he is also Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of
the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo. In this formal welcome to the musical life
of the city, Kazuki Yamada conducts a special performance by Birmingham
Contemporary Music Group at CBSO Centre, with contemporary works by Japanese and
European composers that celebrate the natural world, as part of the 2023 BCMG in
Bloom series.
BCMG perform Dai Fujikura’s Perpetual Spring and Secret Forest, the latter inspired by
the power of nature. Dai Fujikura explains how “Perpetual Spring is organic, the clarinet
melts into the string quartet, and the strings extend their ‘stems’ to wrap around the
clarinet wherever it moves. As is the amazing thing about nature: the roots and the stems
of trees wrap around anything, breaking through asphalt roads and concrete walls. Every
time I see this power of nature, I feel that we should never underestimate the power of
‘quiet’ nature. This piece is about framing it.”
Also featured in Blossoming in Birmingham are Toshio Hosokawa’s Blossoming, Lisa
Illean’s Januaries and String Quartet No. 2 by György Ligeti.

Additionally, in a bonus post-show performance, the BCMG NEXT ensemble will perform
pieces by Dai Fujikura, Toshio Hosokawa, Lisa Illean, and more.
Stephan Meier, Artistic Director of BCMG, comments: “Blossoming in Birmingham is
our formal welcome to Kazuki Yamada to the artistic family of Birmingham, and is part of
our BCMG in Bloom series. As such the concert has a focus on Japanese composers,
who in turn have a strong tradition of celebrating the cherry blossom. We travel to the
opening flower with composer Toshio Hosokawa’s Blossoming, as if catching the sound-
world of spreading leaves, with accompanying pieces by Dai Fujikura mixing eternity with
sensuality of the moment. Finally, capturing eternal youth, we celebrate the centenary of
György Ligeti. Experience immersive and dramatic music inspired by nature.”
Listings:
BCMG present Blossoming in Birmingham 
Conducted by Kazuki Yamada
Sat 29th April, 7pm – Tickets £15 (£7.50 conc)
Post-show performance by NEXT musicians – Tickets £5
CBSO Centre, Birmingham
Welcoming Kazuki Yamada to his new role as Chief Conductor and Artistic Advisor for
CBSO, and in keeping with BCMG in Bloom, we present music inspired by the natural
world. Experience immersive and dramatic music inspired by nature. Expect to hear
strings and feel the wind around you. 
 
Lisa Illean (1983)
Januaries (2017, 11’)
 
Dai Fujikura (1977)
Perpetual Spring (2017, 10‘)
Secret Forest (2008, 17’)
 
György Ligeti (1923 – 2006)
String Quartet No. 2 (1968, 20’)
 
Toshio Hosokawa (1955)
Blossoming (2007, 15’)
 
Tickets and more information at www.bcmg.org.uk