Intimate Tokyo duo night
Violinist Itsuko Oba and cellist Akitoshi Kono played an intimate set at Ankh Ginza in Tokyo on March 16, performing Reinhold Glière’s '8 Pieces for Violin and Cello' and Astor Piazzolla’s 'Libertango' — tickets were ¥5,500 and seating was strictly limited. The program fused European chamber lyricism with tango’s pulse for a small‑venue highlight. (x.com)
Ankh Ginza lists just 12 guest seats for music nights, explaining why tickets sold out quickly. (bar-navi.suntory.co.jp) The venue’s running format is two short sets — 20:00 and 21:30 — and its site notes online streaming is offered only for the earlier set. (ginza-ankh.com) The duo was officially billed at Ginza Ankh for March 16 with the same 20:00/21:30 structure on the club’s event listings. (akitoshikono.blog.jp) Violinist Itoko (Itsuko) Oba’s profile records previous performances of tango repertoire at diplomatic events, including a past Libertango appearance at the Serbian Embassy. (itokooba.com) Cellist Akitoshi Kono is a Kyoto City University graduate who completed a master’s at Tokyo University of the Arts and is active on Tokyo festival rosters. (akitoshikono.blog.jp) Reinhold Glière’s set of eight duets (Op.39) dates from 1909 and appears on recordings that total roughly 17 minutes, making it a concise chamber entry in short‑set programmes. (youtube.com) Astor Piazzolla’s Libertango was recorded and published in Milan in 1974 as a landmark of his nuevo‑tango phase, explaining its frequent appearance in cross‑genre duo arrangements. (en.wikipedia.org)
