Nanae Fujiwara

Description

Japanese guitarist, Nanae Fujiwara, has traveled all over the world with her guitar. She shares her music and practice tips on Instagram where she has over 32,000 followers. She has performed thorough the world including Spain, Germany, Kansas City, New York City, and throughout the greater Chicago area. She serves on the board of Chicago Classical Guitar Society, co-founded the Lyra Guitar Quartet and is an Ex-Aequo artist.

Ms. Fujiwara received her Bachelors in Music with highest honors, summa cum laude, from Northeastern Illinois University. She completed her Masters in Classical Guitar Performance from the University of Alicante, Spain. Her journey of classical guitar began at Harper College, under the tutelage of Steve Vazquez. She now teaches piano, ukulele, and guitar at five different music studios throughout the Chicago area.

Nanae is endorsed by Augustine Strings LTD. She uses Augustine Imperial Reds on her guitar made by Richard Bruné.

Work Sample

Granada (published on July 3, 2020) 6 minutes, 12 seconds.

Composed for piano, by Spanish composer Isaac Albeniz (1864−1909) and has been arranged for classical guitar. It demonstrates the richness and technical capabilities of the guitar. I recorded this video at the Rose Garden in Loose Park, Kansas City.

For Nanae (published on Feb 21, 2022) 4 minutes, 27 seconds.

This piece was composed by Jessica Mays, commissioned by the non-profit organization, Ex-Aequo, as a part of their "Changing the Canon" initiative, which sought to expand the number of classical guitar pieces written by Black composers. As an Ex-Aequo artist, I was asked to perform and record this piece in Austin, Texas in 2021.

Greater Kansas City Virtual Japan Festival (published on Nov 20, 2020) 12 min, 30 sec.

In 2020, I was asked to perform at the Greater Kansas City Japan Festival. However, due to the pandemic, my performance was virtual. In this video, I perform a few pieces, including an arrangement of the Japanese traditional song, Sakura.

All the samples I have submitted embody international or multi-cultural projects. Each performance required me to interpret music that has roots outside of classical guitar. For example, Sakura and Granda have traditional folk elements that were not originally designed for the guitar. For Nanae by Jessica Mays was an interesting collaboration because the composer brought many creative techniques from outside the classical guitar tradition. The samples showcase the versatility of the instrument and the diversity of the composers.

History

I am a solo classical guitarist, who has been performing publicly since 2012, throughout the Chicago area and the world. In Europe, I have performed at various venues in Spain and Germany. Online performances are a big aspect of my career and I regularly produce content for Instagram where I have over 32,000 followers.

Artistic Vision

I am sharing music that spans over 400 years from all around the world. My vision is to educate people of various backgrounds through my performances on the classical guitar. My goal is to show the uniqueness of classical guitar as an instrument, as well as its diverse repertoire.