Monthly editorial
	Month of May 2006 [2006-06-19] The month of May found me back in Japan for a tour of recitals in Nagoya, Tokyo, and Kyoto and orchestra concerts of Mozart concert arias and Ilia’s arias from Idomeneo in Tokyo and Osaka. Idomeneo has been one of my favorite Mozart operas since 1974. I sat through many rehearsals in Glyndebourne, England. I was in Glyndebourne making my European debut as Calisto in Cavalli’s opera, La Calisto. My first visit to Japan was in 1977 with Herbert Van Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic with Beethoven’s 9th Symphony in a large Buddhist Hall. Since then I have been in Japan on tour with the Statsoper from Vienna singing Susanna in Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” and Sophie in Stauss’ Der Rosenkavalier and later the Hamburg Oper singing Gilda in Verdi’s Rigoletto. Orchestra concerts included a Peace tour to Hiroshima commemorating the 40th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima with European Youth orchestra and Leonard Bernstein singing Bernstein’s 2nd Symphony “Kaddish” that he composed for my teacher Jennie Tourel. I have also sung many concerts with Japanese orchestras such as NHK, Tokyo City, Osaka. On my last visit in 2001 I sang with the World Symphony Orchestra Strauss’ Vier Letzte Lieder conducted by Lorin Maazel. I have also come with my jazz trio in a tribute to Duke Ellington. This was my 5th recital tour and one of the most satisfying. In Nagoya, Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka we were greeted by enthusiastic audiences in full halls. We enjoyed this tour very much as much for the audiences as well as some wonderful authentic Japanese meals that we had in Kyoto, my favorite Japanese city. It was also very exciting to launch in Japan my new record label Arte Verum, www.arteverum.com, with the release of my first recording of Spanish Songs with Swedish pianist, Love Derwinger. There was a small glimmer of hope for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi who in 1990 despite her continuing detention, as leader of the National League for Democracy won a landslide victory in the general elections by securing 82 percent of the seats; the military junta refused to recognize the results of the election and she has been in and out of house arrest. Ibrahim Gambari, the under secretary general for political affairs, reported at UN headquarters in New York upon his return last month that after visiting the secretive country that he had come away feeling its ruling clique of generals were ready to "turn a new page". The visit drew widespread attention and raised the hopes of campaigners for human rights in Burma after he became the first high-level international visitor in two years to be granted a meeting with Suu Kyi. But this was not to be. She is still in detention. She and the people of Burma need our support. The situation for the long-suffering people of Darfür might improve if the very fragile peace treaty that has been signed in May can hold and lead to a stable peace. We need to continue to be vigilant about this treaty working because the destruction and barbarism that has been the norm is unacceptable and cannot continue. Best regards, Barbara Hendricks
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