Hiroshi Hoshina

Miko Dance for Horn in F and Orchestra

Miko Dance is a concerto for horn and orchestra written to commemorate the 10th edition of the 'Hoshina Academy Chamber Orchestra Ensemble Harmonia,' that was held early 2007 in Kurashiki and Tokyo. This piece is inspired by the slow and gentle movements of the traditional dance of a Miko (maiden integrated into the religious ritual of the Japanese Shinto-Shrine). This is a highly stylized dance, especially when compared to those of occidental cultures. The solo horn inserts 'cadential' phrases within the context of a formal musical structure in which the sound and expression resources of todays instruments are beautifully exploited on an richly colored orchestral accompaniment. First performance: Feb. 3, 2007 at Daiichi Seimei Hall Tokyo, with Satoshi Sugimoto, horn, and the Hoshina Academy Chamber Orchestra 'Ensemble Harmonia' conducted by Takashi Akiyama.