Smile Yoko Ara & Takehiko Yamada

• Ennio Morricone
• 1Cinema Paradiso: Medley (arr. Takehiko Yamada for cello and piano)03:38
• Alan Menken
• 2Beauty and the Beast: Main Title (arr. Toshiyuki Watanabe for cello and piano) 05:04
• Ennio Morricone:
• 3The Legend of 1900: Playing Love (arr. Takehiko Yamada for cello and piano)03:48
• John Williams
• 4Schindler's List: Main Title (arr. Yoko Ara for cello and piano)04:07
• Charlie Chaplin
• 5Modern Times: Smile (arr. Takehiko Yamada for cello and piano)04:24
• Frédéric Chopin
• 6Nocturne No. 20 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. posth (arr. Takehiko Yamada for cello and piano)04:04
• Pietro Mascagni
• 7Cavalleria Rusticana05:47
• Makoto Shinohara, Justin Hurwitz, Hiroaki Koguchi_
• 8La La Land: Another Day of Sun (arr. Hiroaki Koguchi and Makoto Shinohara for cello and piano)03:51
• Makoto Shinohara, Victor Young, Hiroaki Koguchi:
• 9Around the World in 80 Days: Around the World (arr. Hiroaki Koguchi and Makoto Shinohara for cello and piano)03:15
• Makoto Shinohara, Richard Rodgers, Hiroaki Koguchi:
• 10The Sound of Music: Prelude (arr. Hiroaki Koguchi and Makoto Shinohara for cello and piano)05:03
• Ástor Piazzolla
• 11Libertango (arr. Yoshiko Uchida for cello and piano)04:17
• 12Ave Maria, "Tanti anni prima" (arr. Yoko Ara for cello and piano)05:38
• Johann Sebastian Bach
• 13Harpsichord Concerto in F Minor, BWV 1056: II. Largo (arr. Takehiko Yamada for cello and piano)04:00
• Dmitri Shostakovich
• 14The Gadfly Suite, Op. 97a: VIII. Romance (arr. C. Cowles for cello and piano)02:59
• Total Runtime59:55

Info for Smile

Music has been making a big influence on our lives in many different scenes when we are happy, angry, sad and joyful. Music is our common language globally. I believe that we can share the “Beauty of Music” with all the people in the world beyond boundaries. I am very interested in making collaborations with many people in various genres, and I am enthusiastic very much to expand my musical career further. No Life, No Music!

Yoko Ara, cello
Takehiko Yamada, piano

Yoko Ara
Born in Tokyo, Japan. After graduating from TOHO GAKUEN High School of Music and entering TOHO GAKUEN University, she transferred to Illinois State University, Department of Music, on full scholarship in 1986. While there, she joined Springfield Symphony Orchestra.

In 1989 she transferred to Rutgers University and received a Bachelor of Music Degree in 1990. She won the third prize in the Graham Stahl Music Competition.

She entered The Julliard School of Music in 1990 and was the principal cellist for The Julliard Orchestra. She graduated from The Julliard School with a Master of Music Degree.

In 1992 she held a recital at Lincoln Center.

After coming back to Japan, she started giving recitals at various music halls throughout Japan.

She received “The Music Festival Award” at Tateshina Heights.

In 2002, she had a decennial recital titled “New York Memories” at Toppan Hall, with favorite comments in respective fields.

In November 2003, she was appointed as a cellist of Banquet Music at The Commemoration Lecture by Bill Clinton; the 42nd President of the U.S. in Fukuoka.

In October 2004, she performed at Weil Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, in New York titled “Ginza classics in New York”. In November 2006, she gave a recital at St. John’s, Smith Square in London.

Now she is one of the most popular cellist in Japan, performing as a regular member of the “Super Cello Ensemble”, in Miyazaki International Music Festival and also as a member of “Saito Kinen Music Festival”, ”Mito Chamber Orchestra” as well as “Tokyo Opera Nomori Orchestra” under Artistic Director, SEIJI OZAWA.　She has a unit with a harpist, Mieko Inoue called “Duo Champagne”.

She also appears frequently as a guest principal cellist for the major Orchestras in Japan.

She released her original CD album titled “THE CINEMA OF REMINISCENCE-PLEIN SOLEIL” in October 2003, which is well accepted and increasing her fans in Japan.

Her cello teachers are Mr. Juro Aoki, Mr. Ko Iwasaki, Mr. B. Greenhouse, and Mr. H. Shapiro, and also chamber music by Ms. Shuku Iwasaki, Mr. J. Feldman, and a respective member of The Julliard Quartet.

Concurrently, she is the Faculty of Senzoku Gakuen School of Music (Tokyo, Japan).

Takehiko Yamada
studied composition at the graduate school of the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music.

He studied in France and graduated with the premier prix in piano accompaniment from the Paris Conservatory.

During the period, he played with 2E2M and L’itineraire as a soloist.

In addition to that works, he played as an accompanist in many classes at CNSM de Paris, etc.. He has been planning many concerts based on a new style.

This album contains no booklet.