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Plus special guests: Elizabeth Brown, Ned Rothenberg, Ralph Samuelson & Laurie Sogawa

Co-presented by Roulette and Japan Society

Tokyo shakuhachi virtuoso Kinya Sogawa makes his much anticipated full-length U.S. concert debut! Unique to the shakuhachi world in that he is both a brilliant performer and highly acclaimed instrument maker, Sogawa is active in diverse genres of traditional and contemporary music--including enka and video game music. For this all-shakuhachi exploration, Sogawa performs meditative solo pieces passed down by the komuso wandering monks of the 17th century as well as new 21st-century works by composers Ned Rothenberg and Elizabeth Brown that expand the sonic language of that tradition, creating new possibilities for the instrument.

Shakuhachi Exploration Workshops with Kinya Sogawa
At Japan Society 333 East 47th St. NYC
In the week prior to his full-length U.S. debut concert at Roulette, Kinya Sogawa will lead a series of unique workshops at Japan Society, giving participants a deeper look into this versatile instrument. Workshops include shakuhachi playing sessions for beginners and intermediate/advanced players, a professional composers workshop and a one-of-a-kind shakuhachi making workshop.

9/15 Breath, Sound & Form: A Workshop for Shakuhachi Players
9/16 Making & Playing Your Own Shakuhachi: A Workshop in Shakuhachi Craftsmanship
9/22 The Shakuhachi & Contemporary Music: A Workshop for Composers

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Invisible

It was always here.
Its vast terrors concealed
By this costume party
Of flowers and birds
And children playing in the garden.

So begins Charles Simic’s series of eleven poems on the theme of ‘The Invisible’, taking us on an evocative journey that mixes mystery, metaphor and memory and that blurs humour with existential trepidation.

The song cycle, which is by British composer Pete M Wyer, brings together an extraordinary improvising collective of baritone, Tom Buckner, pianist, Matthew Shipp, shakuhachi player, Ralph Samuelson, guitarist and electronics performer, Pete M Wyer and percussionist, Kevin Norton, combining their disparate practises to create a unique aural voyage into the semi non-existent world of The Invisible.

Pete M Wyer is a UK based composer and performer. His operatic/music theatre works include 'Cremenville', 'Numinous City' and '57 Hours In The House Of Culture'. An album, Stories From The City At Night was released by Thirsty Ear in 2008. His hour-long collaboration with poet Steve Dalachinsky, ‘Insomnia Poems’ was selected for ‘Best of 2009’ by BBC Radio 3. He has created works for the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Juilliard Orchestra and many others and is the recipient of a number of international fellowships and awards.

www.pmwmusic.com

 

 

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$15 General Admission
$10 Members/Students/Seniors

Two innovative projects integrating traditional instruments of Japan and Korea with contemporary western musical forms and concepts. Ralph Samuelson (shakuhachi) and Yoko Hiraoka (shamisen and koto) present new works by composers Ned Rothenberg and Elizabeth Brown, and Jin Hi Kim (komungo, barrel drums) presents Digital Buddha II, featuring digital projections from Joel Cadman and Benton C-Bainbridge, and a four-part suite including three world premieres, with Thomas Buckner (voice) and Samir Chatterjee (tabla).

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"Neil B. Rolnick plays new solo and duet works for electronic performance, Samples and audio from around the owrld and fresh off the airwaves. The program includes two pieces written during a recent stay in Japan, Yakiimo and Blue Bambo, with Shakuhachi player Ralph Samuelson. The concert will also include a new solo work using vieo to control samples and sound processing. "