Words for Tomorrow Front Cover

Words for Tomorrow

TOMOKO SHIBATA & AYATOSHI OIKAWA

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Words for Tomorrow
During the pandemic, singing was considered a high-risk activity, and my work came to a halt. That's when I met
Aya Toshi Oikawa, and we continued performing together, even during those difficult times.
This original song was born from our collaboration-he composed the music, and I wrote the lyrics. I cried the first
time I heard the melody, and the lyrics flowed out in less than an hour.
It's about how, in times of isolation, our love and trust can still guide us. Whether you're a couple or friends, when
both people feel like they're collapsing, the only thing to do is believe and keep walking. This song is meant to be a
voice of encouragement for all of us.
- Tomoko Shibata--
"When the first melody came to me, I just knew-it had to be sung by Ms. Shibata. I'm so happy we could create
something that inspires people toward the future."
- Aya Toshi Oikawa-

Artist Profile

  • TOMOKO SHIBATA

    A soprano who brings the joy of song to the world. After graduating from Musashino Academia Musicae, she went on to study at The Juilliard School. She has performed on prestigious stages both in Japan and abroad, including Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and the New National Theatre Tokyo. She has taken on leading roles in operas and musicals such as The King and I, and received high praise from The New York Times for her performance in the Japanese opera Twilight Crane Tsu. She premiered contemporary works with the Kronos Quartet and studied in Italy, contributing to the promotion of Leonard Bernstein's music. She has performed with major orchestras such as the New Japan Philharmonic and the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, and has released three CDs as an exclusive artist with EMI. Among these, her aria-style cover of the Beatles' "Let It Be" attracted global attention and was re-released by Universal Music in 2021. In 2024, she directed, produced, and starred in Message from Violetta - La Traviata, showcasing her innovative approach to performance. She also appeared as the prima donna in Tokyo Opera Production's Viva la Mamma at the New National Theatre Tokyo, and played the roles of Juno in The Merry Widow and Orpheus in Orpheus in the Underworld, both produced by the Nikikai Opera Foundation at the Nissay Theatre.

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    TOMOKO SHIBATAの他のリリース

  • AYATOSHI OIKAWA

    Born in 1994. After graduating from Urawa High School in Saitama Prefecture, he completed undergraduate studies in Musicology and a graduate degree in Solfege at Tokyo University of the Arts. As a chamber musician, he has performed with renowned artists such as Lorenz Nasturica-Herschcowici, former concertmaster of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, and members of the NHK Symphony Orchestra. In addition to appearing as a pianist on numerous television programs including TV Asahi's "Untitled Concert," many of the CDs he has contributed to as a composer, arranger, and pianist have been released by major labels. In 2022, his original composition "Hana ni Yakusoku" (lyrics by Kei Ogura, performed by Satoshi Hayashibe) was selected as the featured song for NHK Radio's "Late Night Flight" from February to March. In July 2024, he held a solo recital at Hamarikyu Asahi Hall, which concluded to great acclaim.

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    AYATOSHI OIKAWAの他のリリース

Opera in Jiyugaoka