FORMOSA

A masterpiece of neoclassical music, woven from piano, strings and flute, connecting personal memories of Japan and Taiwan.

On December 24, pianist and composer, Yuki Murata will release her 7th solo album, 'FORMOSA'. Following the release of new works by her other projects; the instrumental band, Anoice, RiLF and Films, which also feature other members of Anoice, her successful piano solo tours in France, Italy, and the Czech Republic, a tour of China with KASHIWA Daisuke, and a tour of Kazakhstan with her Anoice bandmate, Takahiro Kido, she has created what is arguably her finest solo work to date, spending the longest production period of her career, on this solo album.

The album 'FORMOSA' is a refreshing yet, at times, bittersweet neoclassical album centered around her grandfather and Taiwan, the country where he was born and raised. Alongside gentle and nostalgic piano solo pieces such as 'waltz of hydrangea', which opens the story, and 'at the airport', the album's closing track, the album features grand and beautiful chamber music performed by piano and a quartet of violin, viola, cello, and flute, including the advance single 'beyond the valley' as well as 'sonar' and the title track 'formosa'. It also includes intimate duo pieces featuring piano with flute and cello, such as 'wings' and 'gùxiāng'. Throughout the album, everything is filled with beautiful melodies and sounds that resonate deeply and linger in the heart.

For the album artwork, Yuki Murata searched through the collections of the National Diet Library in Japan and discovered an old map of the area surrounding the house where her grandfather grew up. She scanned the map and, together with Takahiro Kido, digitally transformed it into a torn-paper collage artwork. The box edition of the CD also includes liner notes written by Yuki Murata herself, expressing her thoughts and memories of Taiwan and her grandfather, as well as photographs she took during more than a dozen visits to Taiwan. As a result, 'FORMOSA' has become the most personal work of her career.

We invite you to listen to these beautiful sounds, and experience, 'Ilha Formosa', the 'Beautiful Island', a place that can be expressed only through the music of Yuki Murata.