Nikkos
Nikkos
フルート･アコーディオン・ピアノ・リコーダ･作曲・カンツォーネ・音樂プロデュサ・音楽教師
Nikkos (ニコス),Bifaro Vincenzo,イタリアシチリア島生まれ。幼い頃からピアノ、フルート、リコーダー、アコーディオン、サックスを学び、卒業後、各種室内楽、交響楽団に参加し、クラシックフルート奏者として活動する。V.ベリーニ音楽学校、アートアカデミー学士院フルート科マスターコースを卒業。グイド・マドゥリ、コンラッド・クレム、アンジェロ・ペルシキッリの各氏に師事。各種室内楽、交響楽団などに参加し、本格的にクラシックフルート奏者としての活動を行う. 87年より作曲活動を始め独自の音楽の方向性を追求し始める。88年、アリッチア音楽祭で優勝し、リタ・バボーネから絶賛される。89年、ファーストアルバム「NIKKOS」リリース。92年「ローマ花の音楽祭」で最優秀賞を受賞。1990年、ドイツ企業主催のコンサートに招待され、日本に初来日。以前、イタリア以外にフランス、アメリカで生活をしてきていたが、文化、風習、食生活全ての面において、日本が自分に合っていることを直感し、1992年の2度目の来日をきっかけに本格的に日本での音楽活動を開始する。同年、「ローマ花の音楽祭」にて最優秀賞受賞。1997年 パイオニアLDCより3部作CDを発表。その後ニコスミュージックを設立し、新たに独自のCDを発表する。2000年には、アルバム「Angels dreaming」を発表。日本では、NHK、教育テレビなどのBGMで使われている。またアメリカでは、Higher Octave Music(EMIグループ）にて販売され、全米のニューエイジラジオの中で注目を集め始めている。2001年に「Angels Flying」、2002年に「Angels Singing」をリリース。また、日本のみならずアメリカ、ヨーロッパ、中国、台湾、シンガポールなど様々な国でも発売されており、SARSやスマトラ沖地震などのチャリティーのために台湾のレコード会社より発売されたコンピレーションCDにも協力している。彼の音楽は今までに、フジテレビ メルシャン軽井沢美術館のCM音楽に「Promenade」が、映画「発熱天使」のテーマ音楽に「Midori」が、台湾の三菱自動車のCM音楽に「Fly」が採用されている。彼の澄んだ音色はその他、NHK、民放他、ラジオなどでも耳にすることができる。03年にアメリカでDVD「Celebration of the sea」を発表。この作品は、同年デンバーで行われ「国際ニューエイジトレードショー」の「Visionary Award」ビデオ・DVD部門」で第２位を受賞。また、シチリアトラパニ市からは高い芸術性を評価され「Saturno賞」を受賞。05年、愛・地球博のイタリアンパビリオン内にて「踊るサテュロス像」の前でパフォーマンスを披露し、好評を博す。映画「のだめカンタービレ」においてニコスがファゴット役で役者デビューします.劇中では本人が作曲したアコーディオンの曲を２曲演奏しています. 2014年４月よりTV東京にて毎週放送ショートアニメ（カリーノコニ）の音樂を昨曲・演奏で担当。
Nikkos with Coni
With numerous awards and radio chart position to his credit, this Italian-born, Japan-USA based multi-instrumentalist and composer, offers a sonorous blend of strong melodies.
Born Nikkos Bifaro Vincenzo in Trapani, Italy, the man now known as Nikkos began his musical career at the age of 10, studying accordion, piano, flute, recorder, sax, guitar and voice. He earned his master degree in flute from the noted conservatory V.Bellini, under the guidance of renowned flutist G.Maduli and under the guidance of Conrad Klemm and Angelo Persichilli. After graduating from the Academy of Arts of Rome, Nikkos performed on stage and in the studio as soloist and with a variety of symphony orchestra in Italy and Europe.
After spending 2 years as a professional musician in New York city, Nikkos returned to Italy and made his eponymous recording debut. Twenty five released followed, including two 3-CD boxed sets, for major records companies( Pioneer, Sony, Jingo Records). All recordings released on his own Nikkos Music, LLC label, were recorded in Michigan.
In 1992, Nikkos followed his dream and moved to Tokyo, Japan, where he founded Nikkos Music. There, he released several popular recordings and had his music featured on CD-ROMs, videos, scores for film, animation, TV commercial, and multi-media performances.
Nikkos also became friend with the international award-winning painter Sumi Ishikawa, recipient of the prestigious Raffaello award in Italy. Her work is widely exibited in Europe, and she is considered a pioneer in the visual arts. Her art adorns the cover of Angels Release. Nikkos' music has been collected into custom CD anthologies for new product campaigns by Hoya glasses and top cosmetics company, Shiseido. But Nikkos is most proud of severals concerts he performs at hospitals, rehabilitation centers and homes for elderly (where his music is used for relaxation and healing purposes). He is also a member of the Japanese Artist Association for Charity.
Starting music lessons at ten, Nikkos remembers “ My first instrument was accordion. I was a small boy, and this instrument was big for my body. Carrying and playing it was very difficult, but made me very happy.” He since has expanded his repertoire to include silver and bamboo flutes, recorder, piano, keyboards, alto and alto sax.
" My favorite is the flute and I love to sing " he admits. "After playing for 15 years and hearing other musicians, I can honestly say my style is unique. It sounds like the seashore, like wind" an early influence on his style was classical music. Over the last decade, Nikkos has performed live and in the studio with jazz, pop and fusion bands as well as several symphony orchestras, but his primary focus is on developing his own discography through live concerts, albums, videos, television and film.
As a songwriter, Nikkos shares,"anything can inspire me to make music: happiness,sadness, other strong emotions. While inspiration strikes me whenever I'am surrounded by nature, the music comes from inside. So I may be performing in front of friends or in concert, while I'll suddenly feel it - the inspiration- and I'll start to create improvisations. Inspiration is the soul of spontaneity, so I'll create music in a very natural way. Instead of having a set routine where I record a certain number of hours a day, I'll simply turn on a portable tape recorder wherever I feel a melody, and I'll play it out on flute or piano. After a few days, I'll re-listen to the piece, and, if I still like it, I'll work on it until a finished composition emerges. (Laughs) I also compose music in my dreams, but I always forget them when I wake up. Very sad".
Review
" One of the most talented musician/composers in the new age field is the italian-born flutist Nikkos... World music has a had positive effect on certain new age artist, and Nikkos' best
instrumentals indicate that he is one of them.
Take "West East", for example; the tune has the sort of tranquility that new age audiences crave, but its Asian leanings hint at the forms of spiritual music that Buddhist monks have been playing for centuries... Angels Dreaming is an appealing example of new age's more creative, risk-taking side...soulful and haunting."
- All Music Guide (www.allmusic.com ) -
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"...elegant melding of flute solos, rich sounding ensemble arrangements, and strong melodies that evoke colorful imagery and deep emotion. Nikkos' music frees one's imagination so that an inner state of calm and happy nostalgia is achieves."New Times”
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"...a musician of many surprises. Nikkos dispays a full-bodied, rich tone that never gives way to the tweeting and chirping of so many other flutists. He switches easily between lightly swinging tracks and more ethereal songs. All of his compositions are cleanly cacty, with no wasted phrases." - NAPRA Review -
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"For the listener looking for something smooth and mellow, this is a good album."
- Alex Henderson, Barnes & Noble.com -
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" Total enchanting set that goes beyond thee usual new age pale with well-textured, multi-instrumental textures that have hooks you wouldn't beleive...
Right for fans of other new agers like Jim Brickman."
- Midwest Record Recap
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" Nikkos' flute is the stuff that angel' dreams are made of...light and airy, clearly enunciated and skillfully played...your ticket to angelic bliss. Listeners with an ear for sonic beauty will agree with me when I declare this HIGHLY RECOMMENDED."
-Improvijazzation
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" The first image that came to mind when I listened to Angels Dreaming was that of a sudden spring shower-evident in the tumbling notes of the flute and harp interacting in the first track of this wonderful album.
The fluid phrases of Nikkos' flute are a refreshing reminder than Ambient needn't be all electronics and atmospherics to get its points across...The interplay here remind me at times of Rampal and Laskine's duets...
There is a sunny feel to his music, brilliant enough to break through even the heaviest gloom. Even in the yearning points, there is a ray of lightness to his playing...
Nikkos pulls you ever higher as his melody climbs into dreaming clouds...
A lovely addition to any flute-lover's collection...suitable for spa and massage background music, or for writing and daydreaming. I would buy another album by this artist."
-www.ambientvisions.com
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"... a sweet album if rich-sounding melodies that carry us into relaxed angelic realms.If angels could dream, this Nikkos album would be their backdrop of sounds."
-Phenomenews
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" The opening tilte track teatures a poignant flutemelody, accompanied by piano, bass and keyboards. Harpsichord...gives " Natsuno Melody" a chamber-music feel...
-New Age Voice-
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" I heard Nikkos perform in Orlando, and I thought he was great."
- Ted Cox, freelance writer for NAR, NAV and more -
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" Listening to it was a mellow experience, and I like that. A lot of music we receive is'thump-thump-thump;' all beat and no melody. Nikkos' CD was different, and I appreciated that".
-Paul Horne, Hero-
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" Music on this album is charming and refined. It is more than music; it is a piece of heaven in your home!"
Radio MIR in Minsk/Russia
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" I was really impressed".
-syndicated programmer
Dave Butler of InnerVisions
and more...
About Nikkos
Nikkos
Vincenzo Bifaro, in arte Nikkos,italiano di Trapani, risiede e lavora tra il Giappone e gli Stati Uniti.
Fin dall'eta' di 10 anni, ha iniziato a studiare fisarmonica, flauto dolce, pianoforte, sintetizzatori, flauto, sax e chitarra.
Diplomatosi nel 1984 brillantemente in flauto presso al Conservatorio Bellini di Palermo (è stato suo Maestro Guido Maduli), ha continuato gli studi a Roma con i Maestri Conrad Klemm, Angelo Persichilli ed ha seguito vari corsi di perfezionamento. A Roma inizia la sua attivita' artistica; le sue esperienze musicali si espandono oltre che nel campo classico, anche in altri generi musicali, quali new age, jazz, pop. Nel 1988 vince il Festival di Ariccia,nella categoria compositori e musicisti, al quale hanno gia' predominato artisti come Rita Pavone, Claudio Baglioni, Enrico Montesano, Marcella Bella ecc..
Nel 1989 incide il suo primo CD di musiche originali intitolato "Nikkos".
Nel 1990, dopo essere stato invitato ad eseguire dei concerti in Giappone, si innamora dell'oriente e si trasferisce definitivamente a Tokyo nel 1992.
In Giappone inizia a lavorare per le varie Tv giapponesi, scrivendo musiche per documentari e programmi.
Ha inciso CD per la Pioneer, la Sony, EMI, Jingo Records( Cina, Taiwan e Hong Kong) ed ha realizzato musiche per la campagna pubblicitaria Shiseido, Hoya, Mercian, Mitsubishi.
Ha scritto colonne sonore per film, cartoni animati, video, CD rom e le sue musiche sono state inserite in 12 CD compilation di musiche new age e di rilassamento.
Nel 1998 fonda Nikkos Music, la quale controlla e gestisce i diritti d'autore delle proprie musiche nel mondo.
Nel 2001 il CD Angels Dreaming rimane nella classifica Hit-parade di musica strumentale degli Stati Uniti per 7 mesi; lo stesso CD e' un best seller nel catalogo della EMI.
Nel 2004 realizza la musica per la pubblicità televisiva Mitsubishi motors: il brano diviene hit ed entra a far parte delle best song nelle compilation asiatiche.
Nikkos ha inciso più di 20 CD di musiche originali scritte da lui,ed ha tenuto più di 1500 concerti solisti in tutto il mondo. Ha scritto piu' di 300 brani, principalmente per flauto accompagnato dal pianoforte, chitarra, basso, batteria, percussioni ed archi; ha scritto anche brani per pianoforte solo, violoncello.
Per il cartone animato in 26 puntate televisive Carino Coni, ha scritto tutte le musiche per fisarmonica sola, e la canzone tema.
Nel 2005 e' rappresentante italiano all'Esposizione Mondiale di Aichi in Giappone, esibendosi davanti il Satiro Danzante.
Ha tenuto corsi e master in Giappone per varie associazioni musicali ed in Cina presso l'Universita' di Shenyang; insegna flauto presso la Pearl di Tokyo.
In Giappone ha anche collaborato e suonato con celebri artisti di musica classica, quali Mayako Sone ( clavicembalo), Yuko Hisamoto ( pianoforte), Mayori Fujita ( flauto) ecc.
Hanno partecipato alle sue produzioni di 6 CD il pianista Luis Resto, vincitore del premio Oscar 2003 ( migliore tema song) e piu' volte premio Grammy, e la cantante soprano Darlene Koldenhoven premio Grammy per la produzione del CD "Angels Singing".
Si e' dedicato anche alla musica teraupetica, insegnando e suonando a New York in alcuni centri di rilassamento e per seminari universitari.
Nel 2009, per il noto film giapponese "Nodame Cantabile", ha interpretato in qualita' di attore protagonista il ruolo di fagottista; per lo stesso film ha scritto ed interpretato due brani con la fisarmonica.
E' membro dell'Associazione Giapponese artisti e della societa' giapponese di diritti d'autore.
Nikkos ( Italiano)