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IMA Concerts is a chamber music series, performed in intimate settings. Chamber music, since its early beginnings in Europe, has been enjoyed for performance by a small group of performers in a private and friendly atmosphere, often as salon concerts. Although presently, it has evolved to be performed, mainly in larger concert halls, IMA concerts ("ima" having a dual meaning of "now" and "living room" in Japanese) reflects its original setting by performing in a smaller and intimate space.
After 13 years of concerts and tours with the Sequoia Quartet, Yoko Matsuda went on to organize such concerts in the Los Angeles area, including Bel Air, Beverly Hills, Palos Verdes, and Orange Country. These concerts were held in private homes or libraries that were just large enough to house an audience of around 60. Held twice a year, once in the spring and again in the autumn, they were applauded by its audiences for more than 10 years.
Performed by acclaimed artists from throughout the United States and Japan, IMA concerts presented music in numerous different instrumentations, beginning with the traditional string quartet, and incorporating flute, piano, oboe, clarinet and french horn in its programs as well.
IMA Concerts were first introduced to Japan in 1985. Since then, annual concerts have been held in Tokyo and Osaka in larger halls such as the Tsuda Hall. Other locations of performance have included Okayama, Kyoto, Hamamatsu, Niigata, Nasu, Tennri, Tateshina, and Tsuruga. Upon returning to Tokyo in 1997, Matsuda has continued these concerts. She hopes that in the future, she can extend these concerts to other areas within Japan as well.
Yoko Matsuda, Music Director
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