Pianist of the Kyoto underground band THIS=MISAxSAIKOU (1999-2006) which united violinist and improviser Saikou Miyajima in the Mie countryside of Japan, she moved to Kyoto in 2003 and came into contact with many kinds of artists with whom she is still associated, including, film makers, contemporary dancers, painters, sound artists, poets, DJs, Kyogen performers(Japanese traditional theater) and musicians. She has also played composed music by John Cage. Each new interaction opened a new door to fresh possibilities in her sound education.

In 1977 Misa was born in Mie, Japan. Her parents began her classical piano when she was three years old, she loved music and playing piano, but ten years later she gave up the lessons because of the many rules in classical music. After that, she began to go her way without thinkng about life as a pianist, but in 1999 it so happened that she started to play piano again after experience of improvised music in Saikou Miyajimas' play. The next year THIS=MISAxSAIKOU was formed with him. The basis of this group is Naked, it means No wear sound, No dress up sound, Just goes on THIS's music, and live concerts are the most important way to show it. THIS gave workshops improvised music at elementary schools for children, and other venues for all sorts of people.  

 

 

2003-2005 in Kyoto gave rise to performances like Misa Shimomura Piano Solo Improvisation and Micro Piano (with Hiko Nishikawa/pianist, improvisation music by two pianos).

"When I face the piano and play, a locus and miracles are growing through the music. Will you have a time with me in a sound including the joys and sorrows of life?" by Misa Shimomura.

In 2006 Misa began to start her own project Triangle Book in the art project Laboratoire Village Nomade in Switzerland. The triangle is composed of old people who have almost nothing to lose, artists who trying to find something, and Misa Shimomura. We may find new meaning in the center. After they share the moment together beyond their age, different nationalities and personalities. It may help us to remember important things that we lose in daily life. And she already put a European Triangle on the first page.

This project will continue in many places in the future and a lot of pages will be added to her Triangle Book.

 

 

Best Known world-wide as an improvising pianist, Misa has also performed in a variety of other contexts, playing violin, melodica and harmonica in some films, guitar and kitchen tool percussion in her solo project Triangle Book, singing in THIS. She has also composed music for performance with dance and Kyogen.    

 

Misa is the subject of Ayako Mogis' award-winning documentary film "Ask the Wind". *Nyon International Documentary Film Festival in Switzerland, Special Prize

She also played piano in the film "Touch the Sound" by Thomas Readelsheimer. *Documentary film of Everyn Glennie / guest musician:Fred Frith, Ondekoza, etc...

 

Now, she is working on Ayako Mogis' new film "Silent Color Silent Voice" as a sound editor in Switzerland, and she has been invited to participate in Laboratoire Village Nomade from May to Nov in 2008.