Thursday, April 06, 2023 7:30PM @ Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall Masayo Ishigure Koto and Shamisen Recital Commemorating the 30th anniversary of her professional career in the U.S. Performers: Masayo Ishigure (Koto, Bass Koto, Shamisen)
“Sakura/The Moon over the Deserted Castle” A masterpiece representing Japan composed by Tadao Sawai.
“Ginga (Galaxy)" by Tadao Sawai, using Okinawan melody, is performed on koto and shamisen.
“(untitled) ” composed by Zac Zinger for koto, piano, and shakuhachi, each instrument partially improvises like often heard in Jazz music.
“Gin-yu-ka (Minstrel Song)”, a powerful ensemble of six koto players composed by Hikaru Sawai
“Chizuru/ Whereabouts of the Wind” by Hideaki Matsumoto, a relatively new Koto and piano piece.
“Flying like a Bird”, composed by Tadao Sawai, will be the last piece of the recital. The piece, using all the techniques the composer could think of at that time, is one of the milestone of 20th century Koto music, and definitely worth listening to.
The history of Japanese music can be seen in this program, which can be enjoyed by a wide range of audiences.
Zac Zinger (Shakuhachi)
Nathan Koci (Piano)
Noriko Tsuboi (Koto, Bass Koto)
Miyabi Koto-Shamisen Ensemble (Koto)
Cast and Creative team for Masayo Ishigure Koto and Shamisen at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall
Cast
Masayo Ishigure
Koto, Shamisen, Bass Koto
Masayo Ishigure began playing koto and jiuta shamisen at the age of five in Gifu Prefecture, and later studied under Tadao and Kazue Sawai. In 1986 she became a special research student at Sawai Koto Institute. She moved to the U.S. in 1992 to teach Koto classes at Wesleyan University in CT. In 2005 she was invited to play the koto on the soundtrack of the Academy Award-winning film "Memoirs of a Geisha (SAYURI)," music by John Williams, with Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, and others.
In 2007 Masayo was nominated for Newsweek magazine's "100 Japanese People the World Respects.In 2016 she was nominated by the late Prime Minister Abe as one of the Top 5 Japanese Women Promoting Japanese Culture in New York City.
2010-2021 Masayo held Koto classes at Columbia University. She gives private lessons in New York City.
Zac Zinger
Shakuhachi
Zac is an award-winning composer, arranger, orchestrator, and multi-instrumentalist. He has written for video games, commercials, and films, and is known for his innovative technique and style on the shakuhachi and the unique multicultural blend in his compositions.
Zac plays saxophones, shakuhachi, flutes, clarinets, EWI, and a host of world flutes. A member of the Grammy-winning 8-Bit Big Band and Adam Neely’s Jazz School, he also leads his own progressive jazz quartet.
Zac conducted a five-month residency in Tokyo, Japan with a fellowship from the Asian Cultural Council. In 2020 he received a grant from Salon De Virtuosi “for his exceptional talent and dedication to cross-cultural musical presentations.”
Nathan Koci
Piano
Nathan is a musician, music director and collaborative artist working across disciplines including folk music, jazz, contemporary classical music, dance, and theater. His theater credits include: Hadestown (US Tour, Broadway, Citadel Theater), Oklahoma! (Broadway, US Tour, Young Vic, St. Ann's Warehouse, Bard Summerscape), Most Happy in Concert (Williamstown Theater Festival, Bard Summerscape),Brimstone and Glory (Wordless Music), The Head and the Load (Art Basel, Tate Modern, Ruhr Triennale, MASS MoCA), The Source (BAM Next Wave, SF Opera, LA Opera), The Principles of Uncertainty (BAM Next Wave), and War Horse (US Tour). Nathan also records and performs with Sam Sadigursky’sThe Solomon Diaries, The Michael Leonhart Orchestra, and The Hands Free.
Noriko Tsuboi
Koto, Bass Koto
Noriko began studying koto at age eight. She obtained a teaching certificate from Sawai Koto Institute in 1986, and entered the institute as a Special Research Student to study under Tadao and Kazue Sawai.In 1992, Noriko was invited to teach at the University of California, San Diego, where she directed a student koto ensemble. Noriko has resided in Bangkok since 2001. Besides teaching, she has been performing for various occasions; concerts, events, workshops, cultural demonstrations, TV and radio programs, and also performing abroad such as U.S.A., Switzerland, and Asian countries including Japan.
Miyabi koto and shamisen ensemble
Koto
Koto and Shamisen Ensemble "MIYABI" was founded in 1996 in New York City as a branch of the Sawai Koto Academy of Japan, with repertoire ranging from classical to contemporary koto music. The founder of Sawai Koto Academy, Tadao Sawai, is known as one of the greatest players and composers of koto music in the 20th Century.
The ensemble especially dedicate themselves to playing Tadao Sawai's koto music.
They have played many concerts in the New York Metropolitan area, the eastern United States, Hawaii,Australia, South America and Japan.The leader of the NY Ensemble is Ms. Masayo Ishigure.
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