Their annual concert this Saturday, October 5 promises to be an unforgettable evening of drumming that blends traditional Japanese rhythms with their New York roots. This in-person event will start at 5:30 p.m.; doors open at 5:00 p.m. To purchase tickets, please visit OMNY Taiko’s Eventbrite page. Tickets may be available at the door, depending on availability.

About OMNY Taiko

OMNY Taiko is a vibrant, tight-knit community drumming group striving to share the art of taiko drumming with people and communities across the New York City area through inclusive, accessible performances, classes, and workshops.

As a form of rhythmic and artistic expression, taiko allows individuals to convey emotion and energy and to connect with others through music. OMNY Taiko emphasizes the communal aspect of ensemble drumming:

bringing people together to create music as a group
fostering a sense of community and belonging
providing opportunities for collaboration and teamwork

One of OMNY Taiko’s primary goals is to become emblematic of the energy of New York City, reflecting the story of a seed born on the concrete streets and blossoming into a vibrant community with the strength and tenacity of a city that never sleeps.

For more information about the organization, please visit their website.

Support JapanCulture•NYC by becoming a member! For $5 a month, you’ll help maintain the high quality of our site while we continue to showcase and promote the activities of our vibrant community. Please click here to begin your membership today!

Susan McCormac 10/7/23 Susan McCormac 10/7/23

KAMMERRAKU PROMISE

Chamber music by Japanese composers featuring the Cassatt Quartet with James Nyoraku Schlefer, shakuhachi and Yoko Reikano Kimura, koto

Arts at TCI and Kyo-Shin-An Arts Present Kammerraku Promise

Sunday, October 8 from 4:00 p.m. until 5:30 p.m.

Tenri Cultural Institute – 43A W. 13th Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues)

Admission: $25 in Advance ($30 at the Door)

Celebrate the 15th anniversary season of Kyo-Shin-Ann Arts!

Kyo-Shin-An Arts and the Cassatt String Quartet are together again, performing a special program of contemporary chamber music by three extraordinary Japanese composers, including a second commission to American Prize winner, Masatora Goya.

Program

“Tree of Life” (2023) by Masatora Goya for shakuhachi and string quartet (World premiere)
“Ai for Shakuhachi and Strings” (1978) by Minoru Miki
“Between the Leaves” (2017) by Yoko Sato for shakuhachi, koto, and string quartet

Performers

Yoko Reikano Kimura – Koto
James Nyoraku Schlefer – Shakuhachi
Cassatt String Quartet – Muneko Otani and Jennifer Leshnower, violins; Rosemary Nelis, viola; Gwen Krosnick, cello

To purchase tickets, please visit Kyo-Shin-An’s Eventbrite page.

About Kyo-Shin-An Arts

Kyo-Shin-An Arts brings Japanese instruments—specifically koto, shakuhachi, and shamisen—to Western classical music by working with established chamber ensembles, orchestras, and great individual performers to bridge two musical cultures. It introduces composers, performers, and audiences to the beauty and versatility of Japanese instruments and the virtuosity of the musicians who play them. Concerts feature a blend of KSA commissions; other World, US, and New York premieres; and traditional and contemporary music for Japanese instruments and Western repertoire.

About Cassatt String Quartet

Hailed for its “mighty rapport and relentless commitment,” the Cassatt String Quartet has performed to critical acclaim around the world since its founding in 1985, with appearances at Alice Tully Hall, Weill Recital Hall, Tanglewood Music Center, the Kennedy Center, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Centro National de las Artes, Maeda Hall, and Beijing’s Central Conservatory. The group’s discography includes more than forty recordings, spanning the Koch, Naxos, New World, Point, CRI, Tzadik, and Albany labels—including three discs that have been named by Alex Ross to his “10 Best Classical Recordings” feature in The New Yorker.

Arts at TCI and Kyo-Shin-An Arts Present

The excellent acoustics and intimate gallery setting of the Tenri Cultural Institute create a superb setting for listening to chamber music and offer audiences the rare opportunity to hear both traditional and contemporary music from two cultures in a setting similar to the music rooms of the courts and castles of both Europe and Japan. More than 300 years of chamber music tradition are presented throughout this series. Performances feature piano trios and string quartets from the great composers of Europe; music from Japan’s Edo period written for shamisen, koto, and shakuhachi; and contemporary music combining Western and Japanese instruments.

Susan McCormac 9/18/23 Susan McCormac 9/18/23

EXPLORE THE UNIVERSAL CONCEPTS OF CREATIONS & BEGINNINGS WITH “ONOKORO”

ONOKORO – creations/beginnings

Saturday, September 23 and Sunday, September 24 at 7:00 p.m.

Martha Graham Studio One – 55 Bethune Street (between Washington and West Streets), 11th Floor

Admission: $30 | $15 Seniors and Students

Tokyo to New York, in collaboration with Random Access Music, presents the upcoming production of ONOKORO – creations/beginnings. The show is a unique fusion of music and dance that explores the universal themes of creation and beginnings.

The one-hour, non-stop show will feature a captivating blend of contemporary compositions combining traditional Japanese instruments with Western classical instruments, performed by a stellar ensemble of musicians and dancers. The show will include modern dance, traditional Japanese Bugaku dance, a clarinet concerto with Gagaku ensemble, a hichiriki concerto with strings, and trios combining Western classical instruments with traditional Japanese instruments.

To purchase tickets, please visit Tonada Productions’s website.

Inspired by universal creation myths, ONOKORO – creations/beginnings immerses audiences in a flow of music, dance, and ritual that evokes timeless traditions through contemporary artistry. From “Ryoanji” (summoning the beginnings of sounds) to “Netori, Netori” (evoking the beginnings of organized sound and music), through to “Onokoro” (combining the Eastern and Western worlds of music and movement), modern dancer Miki Orihara, clarinetist and hichiriki player Thomas Piercy, Bugaku dancer Maki Yamamae, and their fellow performers will awaken the magic and majesty of the creations and beginnings that connect us all.

Under the artistic direction of Thomas Piercy and the choreography of Miki Orihara, ONOKORO – creations/beginnings features an exceptional lineup of composers, instrumentalists, and dancers. The program includes compositions by renowned composers John Cage, Gilbert Galindo, Masatora Goya, Bin Li, and Miho Sasaki. The performances will showcase the dance and choreography of Martha Graham protégé Orihara and Yamamae, as well as multi-instrumentalist Piercy on clarinet, hichiriki, and ohichiriki. Joining Orihara, Yamamae and Piercy are dancer Ghislaine van den Heuvel, ryuteki player Lish Lindsey, hichiriki player Joseph Jordan, sho player Harrison Hsu, koto player Masayo Ishigure, violinists Sabina Torosjan and Lara Lewison, violist Laura Thompson, cellist Daniel Hass, bassist Pablo Aslan, and pianist Marina Iwao.

ONOKORO – creations/beginnings is not only a celebration of artistic collaboration which combines the traditional with the contemporary, but it also unites diverse musical genres and dance forms to create a truly immersive experience. This event seamlessly blends and celebrates a harmonious convergence of cultures and is a testament to the diversity of musical expressions and cultures, underscoring the richness of human creativity when artistic worlds collide. It is a celebration of our shared human experience through the lens of dance and music.

OMNY TAIKO TO CELEBRATE 10TH ANNIVERSARY

RISE: OMNY Taiko 10th Annual Concert