Piano 2000

The year 2000 was the last of the twentieth century, and it also marked the 250th anniversary of the death of J.S. Bach. For this double celebration Zen-On organised an International Composition Competition, inviting composers from all over the world to submit works for solo piano lasting not longer than 5 minutes and having some connection with J.S. Bach. At the same time we organised the world premiere of a series of short piano pieces by the leading young Japanese composers, the so-called "Groupe des Quatre et ses ami(e)s" (The Group of Four and their friends). This name refelcts Zen-On's activities in favour of contemporary music. We believe that the pablication of Piano 2000 (shich includes a short biography of each composer) has world-wide significance, for it belongs to the 21st century. We think of it as a "rainbow to a new millennium"