1993 Festival
As part of its 18th season, Music From Japan presented “1993 Festival” which focused on Japanese ma: the concept of time and space. One of the several programs presented by Music From Japan, called “World of Sangen” had the opportunity to travel to several cities across North America. “World of Sangen” featured Akiko Nishigata on sangen (shamisen) and voice, Cheiko Fukunaga on koto, and Toshinobu Takeuchi on visuals. The musicians were able to travel to and perform in Washington, DC (March 16th), New York City (March 21st), Atlanta (March 17th), Pasadena (March 24th), and Mexico City (March 26th).
The 18th season was another milestone year for Music From Japan, as it included the first edition of the “Featured Composer” series: “The Works of Akira Miyoshi,” on March 19th at the Asia Society. In this concert, MFJ presented a cross section of Akira Miyoshi’s works, and commissioned him to compose a new piece, “Quatuor A Cordes III Constellation Noire.” On March 20th, Music From Japan hosted “Sumire Yoshihara Percussion Recital.” This program featured works by John Cage, Norio Fukushi, Yuji Takahashi, Maki Ishii, and Jo Kondo. Finally, on the 21st, MFJ put together a tribute to John Cage, screening a video interview with David Garland, a videotaped performance of “Ryoanji” by Pro Musica Nipponia, and a film by Takahiro Iimura called Ma: Space/Time in the Garden of Ryoan-ji. The evening closed with a symposium on “The Legacy of John Cage in Japan.”
© Music From Japan, Inc.
