Join us virtually to learn about the fascinating history and culture of Japanese traditional instruments. Be introduced to the captivating sounds of the 13-string and the 17-string zither, called koto, and the biwa, a Japanese lute, demonstrated by professional musicians from Japan and featuring special guest Kazuyuki Shiotaka. A live Q&A session will follow with speaker and musician Dr. Joseph Amato.
A special viewing link will be sent to members via email a week before the event. In order to receive the link you must be an active member by Thursday, March 11, 2021 at 5pm.
Dr. Joseph Gashō Amato received his Ph.D. in composition in 1998 from New York University with primary studies in Italian contemporary music. In 2000, he was awarded the prestigious Bunka-chō Japanese Government Artists Fellowship to pursue formal study of Japanese music history and Japanese traditional musical instruments at Seiha Hōgaku-kai. He continued his studies receiving his teaching license and professional name Gashō in 2003. He is founder and currently director of the Japanese Culture Program at Yokohama International School. Before this, Dr. Amato founded the YIS Japanese music program in 2003 and served as its director until 2011. Pursuing his work on sharing Japanese traditional music and culture on the international level, in 2017 Dr. Amato founded and currently serves as director of Japanese Culture Promotion and Management (JCPM), an NPO dedicated to supporting Japanese traditional arts and culture.
Special Guest:
From classical works in the traditional vein to modern compositions, Kazuyuki Shiotaka draws a wide audience for his music in Japan and abroad. Focusing on a more intimate solo concert style, Shiotaka performs regularly in halls and salons with over 150 concerts and lectures. He has also sought out venues in historic, culturally significant locations, often deeply linked with the biwa and its music. Aside from concert tours to countries along the Silk Road including Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Georgia, Shiotaka has performed by invitation at institutions such as Stockholm University and London City University. In Japan, academic lecture appearances include Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Meiji University and Konan Women’s University. A native of Shizuoka Japan, Shiotaka has composed more than 450 music compositions and released eight CDs. See his website here: http://biwa-shiotaka.com/.
