koto artist
Rie Asai
浅井 りえ
About Rie Asai
プロフィール
Rie Asia is a Koto artist, composer, and a producer. She began her stage career at the young age of three and has been actively involved in the entertainment industry ever since.
Throughout her career, she has made numerous appearances on various media platforms, including the television program "Hogaku no Hitotoki" on NHK, "Gigei Seizui," produced by Aichi Prefecture, Bayon TV in Cambodia, and the women's pictorial magazine "Fujin Gaho."
As a composer, she has gained international acclaim for her recent hit, "Annei no Inori," which is celebrated as a prayer song. This has led to invitations for performances around the globe. She has had the honor of dedicating her music to esteemed venues such as the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, St. Stephen's Cathedral (a UNESCO World Heritage site) and Izumo Shrine, among others.
To date, she has performed in 15 countries, including the performance at St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, Austria. Most recently, she has dedicated her music to a peace conference held in Vatican City.
In October 2023, she was honored to have a prayer audience with His Holiness, Pope Francis, the 266th Pope, at the Vatican. Following this meeting, she became the first individual from Japan to receive an official invitation from the Vatican to perform at a concert for world peace. This took place at the Basilica di San Paolo fuori le mura, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
original album
“Prayer of Peace” (released on January 25, 2023)
“Once in a Blue Moon” (released March 25, 2023)
“Ai Amore” (released October 6, 2023)
My mission
マイ ミッション
The Koto has a history of 1300 years in Japan. The sounds of the Koto is a symbol of harmony.
Cooperation, not conflict. Peace, not war. Love, not indifference. It is believed that the sounds of the Koto leads conflict to cooperation, war to peace, and indifference to love in our history.
While engaging in humanitarian assistance to poverty stricken areas of the world, I have come to realize the importance of purification of the souls and prayers. Certainly providing water and food is very important but more than that praying for eradicating poverty, praying for constructing peace, praying for tranquility of the people all over the world is necessary and we can do that. This is what I felt facing the difficulties of supporting dying children in poverty.
I believe my mission is to contribute to constructing peace with the Koto which may integrate differences, making up harmony, tranquility and peace.
Artwork of Rie Asai
アートワーク オブ 浅井りえ
Gallery
ギャラリー
Koto artist Rie's video and photo gallery. Please take a look.
Movie
Photo
charity concert
チャリティーコンサート
The charity concert produced by Rie Asai was full of love, light and peace.
The charity concert produced by Rie Asai was full of love, light and peace. Artists got together from all over […]
Rie Asai produced the charity concert for earthquake in Turkey and donated to Consulate-General of the Republic of Turkey in Nagoya.
Rie Asai produced the charity concert for earthquake in Turkey and donated to Consulate-General of the Republi […]
Discography
ディスコグラフィー
『愛』Amore
[Released on July 25, 2024]
Now accepting reservations at CD shops nationwide
The second CD in the 愛 amore series by Rie Asai, a koto princess who is active all over the world, has been proudly completed.
Performance at St. Stephen's Cathedral, a world heritage site, in Vienna, Austria on September 16, 2022. Audience with the 266th Pope Francis in Vatican City on October 20, 2023. Then, on January 11, 2024, we will return home in triumph to Nagoya for the final tour.
The event will be held at Denki Bunka Kaikan's "The Concert Hall'' to a packed audience.
This time, the final concert of this tour will be packaged with the same excitement as the venue.
The members of Nagoya Virtosen, who were in charge of the orchestra in the previous work "Ai Amore" and also accompanied the Vatican's official invitation performance, will reunite to brighten up the tone of Rie Asai, the world's koto princess.
『Libertango』
[Released on February 10, 2024]
Now Currently being distributed on music distribution sites
Libertango for koto and piano with Yui Matsuda on the piano.
『愛』Amore
[Released on October 6, 2023]
Now accepting reservations at CD shops nationwide
Rie Asai, a koto artist who spins peace, plays the sound of "love" with Nagoya Virtuosen. The harmonies of the gems of Japan's proud artists transcend eternity and wave to the world. The first installment of the modern “Amano Iwato Opening”!
Once in a Blue Moon ―青い月のよるにあなたに会いたくて―
A modern challenge to traditional classical music. The blue moon, it is a rare existence and rarely seen. *20% of the sales of this CD will be donated to the Consulate General of the Republic of Turkey in Nagoya after the earthquake disaster in Turkey and Syria. Filiz Ozdürk, who participated in the artwork for this CD production, is a charcoal and watercolor artist from Turkey who has contributed to international support activities for many years together with Rie Asai. A charity CD that combines art and international support. Please look forward to the new challenges of Japanese traditional musicians.
『安寧の祈り』Pray for harmony, peace and tranquility
Dedicated to the World Heritage Site, St. Stephen's Cathedral, this is a masterpiece that brought tears to the eyes of many spectators! Artists from Japan and Austria gathered in Vienna, and a memorial concert held to pray for peace has been completed as a CD sound source. Kurt Schmidt, conductor of the Vienna Musik Seminar Chamber Orchestra, will play the tone of peace at the call of Rie Asai, who performs all over the world as an artist of the traditional Japanese instrument, the koto. From Japan, Koki Sato, a shakuhachi player who has made a major debut, and Reika Kaneko, who is a Shinto priest and a shakuhachi player, will also participate. Japan and Austria, Japanese and Western music, Japanese and Western musical instruments, a magnificent ensemble of prayers for human peace that transcends all barriers. I pray for the well-being of all people living on this earth. *Part of the sales of this CD will be donated to international peace activities.
【配信版】 安寧の祈り 第二章
Wishing Jewel in Vienna
【配信版】 安寧の祈り 第三章
Peacefull Waves -with Buddhist Monk Chanting-
Social Action Program
社会貢献活動
Develop social contribution activities in Cambodia!
From September 3rd to 11th, I am doing volunteer activities at Cambodian orphanages and rural villages, supporting self-reliance such as building wells, and playing the koto.
Sewing machine donation ceremony
A ceremony was held to donate sewing machines to support the education of Cambodian children. America also joined the project. A joint project between Japan, Cambodia and the United States has started.
