Sato Matsui is a Japanese-born composer based in Paris whose music reflects a richly layered cultural perspective, drawing on traditional Japanese sonorities and her lifelong classical training in counterpoint, harmony and orchestration. Dr. Matsui’s music has been composed for and performed by many renowned performers including Carol Wincenc, Thomas Taveres, Anna Tsybuleva and Will Healy. Currently, Dr. Matsui serves as the founder and artistic director of IMAGO.

Goldenrod Sonata is a piece written for flute and piano in celebration of Carol Wincenc’s 50th anniversary of performing. This piece brings up elements of Wincenc’s golden and creative spirits with her quick humor. Additionally, it takes in elements of Japanese folk music sonorities and blends them Western art music compositional techniques. Each movement represents different scenes throughout the day that meld with Wincenc’s energy.

“The first movement paints a sea of goldenrods, tossing and swaying bountifully in the waves of late summer wind. As the sun sets and the temperature begins to drop, the second movement evokes the dewy musk that lingers in a shadowy reminiscence of the golden hour. The third and final movement is a play on a well-known anonymous German folk song, which has been popularized in Japanese as a song about a butterfly that frolics amongst golden flowers and cherry blossoms. As the singer in the song tells the butterfly to “play and stop, stop and play,” so the piece also frolics about in a game of hard-to-get.”
– Program note excerpt by Sato Matsui