By TYLER ELLYSON
UNK Communications
KEARNEY – Sayo Kajiyama approaches each performance with the same goal.
She doesn’t want to simply sound good. She wants to convey emotion and connect with her audience on a deeper level.
“At the beginning, I just liked being on stage,” the University of Nebraska at Kearney senior said. “Now, I want to share more feelings through the songs, and I want to have more interactions with the audience. When I feel like my music touched their heart, I feel so good.”
That mindset will guide Kajiyama on one of the biggest stages of her college career.
Next month, the music performance major will sing the national anthem during UNK’s spring commencement ceremony at the Health and Sports Center. It’s a moment that represents both her growth as a performer and a journey that began halfway around the world.
‘She changed everything for me’
Originally from Nara, Japan, Kajiyama didn’t come to Kearney planning to pursue music. She arrived as an exchange student studying political science, fulfilling a study abroad requirement from her university back home.
“I never thought about being a singer,” she said.
Despite growing up around music – her mother was a professional opera singer – Kajiyama initially avoided singing, instead focusing on piano and serving as an accompanist for her school choir.
“I refused to sing before because my mother is very good, and I was afraid to perform in front of her,” she explained.
That changed after she met Anne Foradori, then a vocal music professor at UNK.
“My heart immediately moved to music,” Kajiyama said with a smile. “She changed everything for me.”
Foradori, who retired last year, recognized the potential right away.
“We met, she sang for me, and I immediately wanted to work with her,” she recalled. “Her interest and dedication to improving her craft as a singer truly stand out.”
Kajiyama soon switched her major to music and made another pivotal decision – to remain at UNK as a full-time student.
“I could have returned home or transferred to another university, but I really enjoy it here,” she said. “There are so many opportunities to get involved and do something bigger.”
A voice that’s ‘sweet and clear’
Those opportunities shaped her experience over the past four years.
Kajiyama performed with Loper Opera and campus choirs, played French horn in the Symphonic Band and served as an accompanist for fellow students. She’s also performed with Kearney Symphony Orchestra and will be featured during the April 28 concert in UNK’s Fine Arts Recital Hall as a winner of the annual Concerto/Aria Competition recognizing outstanding student musicians.
“I like to challenge myself all the time,” Kajiyama said. “That allows me to develop faster.”
Her instructors say that drive, combined with her musical ability, sets her apart.
“Like her mother, Sayo is a lyric soprano,” Foradori said. “Her voice is sweet and clear. As much as her singing, her presence on stage is engaging, energetic and authentic.”
Music professor Sharon Campbell, who now serves as Kajiyama’s voice teacher, emphasized both her technical skill and artistry.
“Sayo has a beautiful light lyric soprano voice with a broad range that features strong but mellow low notes, exciting and vibrant high notes, and enticing sweetness in her mid-voice tone,” Campbell said. “She is an all-around excellent musician with terrific piano skills in addition to her singing skills, so her attention to nuance and detail is highly developed.”
Kajiyama’s involvement extended beyond performance. She participated in the Japanese Association at Kearney, visited local K-12 schools to promote music and even represented Japan at the National Model United Nations conference in New York City.
She also pursued research, presenting at a National Opera Association conference in Savannah, Georgia. Her project explored ways to help Japanese students learn Italian pronunciation in vocal music by using familiar Japanese phonetic symbols.
“It was quite a cool experience for me to share the Japanese language in the education system,” she said.
Center stage at commencement
Soon, those experiences will culminate at the May 8 commencement.
A Department of Music, Theatre and Dance outstanding senior honoree, Kajiyama admits the opportunity to sing the national anthem came as a surprise.
“I didn’t expect to be picked,” she said. “I’ve never sung the national anthem before, even in Japanese. I’ve never had the chance to sing for such a large audience.”
Since completing her senior recital, she has focused on preparing for the performance – studying not only the music, but its history and meaning.
“I feel so much responsibility because it’s such an important song,” said Kajiyama, who will be joined by accompanist Jason Robertson of Kearney, a fellow UNK music graduate. “I’m so honored to sing the national anthem here.”
After graduation, Kajiyama plans to return to Japan and continue her studies, with the goal of becoming a music teacher while continuing to perform.
Looking back, she said her time at UNK transformed her in ways she never expected.
“Obviously, these four years changed my life – in a good way,” Kajiyama said with a laugh. “I met lots of people and had so many opportunities. My instructors in the music department supported me in so many ways.”
Calling her a “bright light,” Campbell believes Kajiyama serves an example of what’s possible through dedication and a willingness to embrace every challenge.
“She is as relentlessly positive as she is hardworking,” Campbell said. “She is an inspiration for other students to see what can be achieved with lots of hours in the practice room.”
For Kajiyama, the goal remains the same, no matter the stage.
To connect.
And at commencement, her voice will do just that.
