Duo YUMENO—Yoko Reikano Kimura on koto and shamisen and Hikaru Tamaki on cello—and special guest pianist Vicky Chow will pay homage to the legendary composer Toshi Ichiyanagi. Ichiyanagi, who passed away in 2022, was a protégé of John Cage during the 1960s and had a profound influence on the post-war Japanese music landscape.

Presented by Duo YUMENO, the program will explore Ichiyanagi’s music, written for both traditional Japanese and Western instruments, and will celebrate his six-decade-long career. Highlights include Paraphrase for shamisen and cello (2019), which was commissioned by the duo; Time Sequence (1976), a dazzling piano solo in the minimalist style; and Linked Poems of Autumn (1990), Ichiyanagi’s tribute to the Japanese koto-song tradition that features texts by the haiku poet Matsuo Bashō. It’s sure to be an evening of provocative and brilliant contemporary music at Tenri Cultural Institute.

To purchase tickets, please visit Eventbrite.com.

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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.

Duo YUMENO to Pay Tribute to Late Japanese Composer

Music of Changes: Tribute to Toshi Ichiyanagi