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Strong earthquake hits Osaka, Japan

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Strong earthquake hits Osaka

A 6.1 magnitude quake hit the western city during the morning commute. It was the largest since records began in 1923. Three people were reported killed with many more injured.

Two men in their eighties died in Osaka City and in Ibaraki, and a nine-year-old girl was killed in the city of Takatsuki in western Japan on Monday morning, according to Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency. Up to 100 people were injured.

Transport was disrupted and trains stopped amid power outages during the morning commute as the earthquake struck at 8.a.m. local time (23.00 Sunday, UTC) at a depth of about 13 kilometers (8.1 miles).

A number of people were trapped in elevators, windows broke and and small fires were set off in buildings. Centered inland from the port city, the earthquake did not cause a tsunami.

The train and subway service in and around Osaka, including the bullet train to Tokyo, was suspended while checks were made. Some passengers got off trains and walked on the tracks between stations.

More to come?

No major damage to the infrastructure was recorded, but in Ibaraki City, a temple collapsed. The Meteorological Agency warned, however, that aftershocks could be felt over the next two to three days. In 2016, there was a 6.2 tremor two days before a 7 magnitude quake which caused injuries and damage in southern Kumamoto.

In 1995, a 6.9 earthquake killed more than 6,000 people in Kobe, 30 kilometers to the west of Osaka.

A major manufacturing center, Osaka is the headquarters for companies including Panasonic and Nintendo. Production at the Honda, Mitsubishi and Toyota car plants was stopped when the quake hit.

Osaka is due to hold the G20 meeting in June 2019.

jm/ng (Reuters, AP)

Armenian Cellist Karen Ouzounian’s String Quartet Takes Top Prize in Osaka

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Armenian Cellist Karen Ouzounian’s String Quartet Takes Top Prize in OsakaOSAKA, Japan (The Strad)—The Aizuri Quartet (U.S), featuring Canadian-Armenian cellist Karen Ouzounian, has won first prize, worth 3 million JPY ($27,000 USD), in the string quartet section of the Ninth Osaka International Chamber Music Competition in Japan.

The triennial event took place May 13-21 in the string quartet and wind ensemble categories, which ran alongside masterclasses, concerts, and an informal Festa, with no age or repertoire restrictions.

Second prize in the string quartet division, worth 1.5 million JPY went to the Ulysses Quartet from the U.S., while third prize, worth one million JPY went to the Viano String Quartet, also from the U.S.

This year’s jury was chaired by cellist Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi and included violinists Martin Beaver, Kazuki Sawa and Levon Chilingirian; violists Yoshiko Kawamoto and Homggang Li; and cellist Paul Katz.

Third prize winner at the 2015 Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition in London, the Aizuri Quartet comprises violinists Miho Saegusa and Ariana Kim, violist Ayane Kozasa, and cellist Karen Ouzounian. The ensemble was Ernst Stiefel String Quartet in Residence at the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts from 2015 to 2016, and String Quartet in Residence at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia from 2014 to 2016.

Described as “radiant” and “expressive” (The New York Times) and “nothing less than gorgeous” (Memphis Commercial Appeal), cellist Karen Ouzounian approaches music-making with a deeply communicative and passionate spirit. At home in diverse musical settings, she has become increasingly drawn towards unusual collaborations and eclectic contemporary repertoire.

In addition to her work with the Aizuri Quartet, Ouzounian’s commitment to adventurous programming and the collaborative process has led to her membership in the Grammy-nominated, self-conducted chamber orchestra A Far Cry, and the critically-acclaimed new music collective counter)induction. Highlights of Ouzounian’s recent and upcoming seasons include performances of the Elgar Concerto in Chile with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Santiago, tours with the Silk Road Ensemble and Mark Morris Dance Group, recitals at the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts with pianist Ieva Jokubaviciute, a tour of Japan with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and tours with Musicians from Marlboro and Musicians from Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute. Additionally she has performed with The Knights, Trio Cavatina, and as guest principal of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, IRIS Orchestra, and Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia.

Born to Armenian parents in Toronto, Ouzounian was a prizewinner at the 2012 Canada Council for the Arts Musical Instrument Bank Competition. She holds Master of Music and Bachelor of Music degrees from The Juilliard School, where she was a student of Timothy Eddy.