Discover a whole new sound from Japan, with the koto and shamisen, traditional Japanese stringed instruments, Visiting from New York, professional musicians Masayo Ishigure and her members of the MIYABI Koto Shamisen Ensemble will delight the audience with a repertoire of traditional melodies, contemporary works, and perhaps a few songs you might already know, played in a completely new way. Let the music transport you to the traditional and beauty of Japan.
Koto and Shamisen Ensemble “MIYABI” was founded in 1996 in New York City as a branch of the Sawai Koto Academy of Japan, with a 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. They have played many concerts in the New York Metropolitan area, the eastern United States, Hawaii, Australia, South America and Japan. Ms. Masayo Ishigure leads the New York ensemble.
Details
Date
- Friday, April 2, 2027
Time
- 7 p.m.
Price
- $25 (Members, $20)
Location
- Morikami Theater
Our theater tends to be cold. You may want to bring with you a sweater or jacket.
Meet the Performers
Masayo Ishigure began her music journey with playing the koto and jiuta shamisen at the age of five. She graduated from Takasaki Junior College, Department of Traditional Japanese Music, after majoring in koto and shamisen. Ms. Ishigure moved to the U.S. in 1992 and performed at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and other venues. She has had numerous guest appearances with multiple Symphony Orchestras around the U.S. and has performed concerts in various countries around the world. In 2005, she participated in the recording of the soundtrack for the Academy Award-winning film Memoirs of a Geisha with John Williams, Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, and others. In 2016, the Consul General of Japan in New York honored Ms. Ishigure with the Consul General’s Commendation. In 2023, she performed a recital at Carnegie Hall to commemorate 30 years in the United States. She taught koto shamisen classes at Wesleyan University and Columbia University and teaches private lessons, as well as organized the MIYABI Koto Shamisen Ensemble in Manhattan. She is versed in various instruments – koto, shamisen, 17-string bass koto, and the 21-string koto.
Kenneth Hutchinson was born and raised in New York City. In 1990 Ken moved to Japan to work as an architect where a chance discovery of a shamisen in his grandmother’s Tokyo home eventually led him to study with Masayo Ishigure. Since 2007 he has performed with Ms. Ishigure at cultural events across the U.S. and overseas in Australia and Japan. In 2023, Ken helped form the nonprofit organization known as the Japanese Cultural League of Jersey City. It is his joy and privilege to continue performing with Masayo Ishigure as well as now organizing Japanese arts and culture programs.
Tsuyako Takahashi is a New York–based koto performer and a member of the MIYABI Koto Shamisen Ensemble New York, led by Masayo Ishigure. Born in Shiga, Japan, she has lived in New York since 1996. She began studying the koto under Masayo Ishigure in 2011 and has since developed an active performance career. Tsuyako has performed extensively throughout the New York metropolitan area and across the eastern United States, with appearances in Washington, D.C, Michigan, and internationally in Thailand. In New York, she has performed at major cultural venues such as Carnegie Hall and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, as well as at various museums, cultural institutions, and community events. Her performances span a wide range of settings, including concerts, educational workshops, cultural demonstrations, and collaborative events, where she actively promotes traditional Japanese music and culture to diverse audiences. She has studied a broad repertoire ranging from traditional classical koto music to contemporary works and explores arrangements of popular and Western music.
