This Season
Virtual. Broadcast. Live. Kyo-Shin-An Arts is bringing its music to you.
Kammerraku Encore
An all Schlefer program for Sankyoku and String Quartet featuring the reprise of Tommy and a new quintet for shakuhachi and strings.
Sumie Kaneko, shamisen; Yoko Reikano Kimura, koto; James Nyoraku Schlefer, shakuhachi and the Arianna String Quartet featuring John McGrosso and Jane Price, violins; Joanna Mendoza, viola; and Kurt Baldwin, cello.
Kiku Ika キク イカ Chrysanthemum Squid
Premieres. reprises and contemporary music for shakuhachi, soprano and string trio
Featuring James Nyoraku Schlefer, Juliet Schlefer, Pauline Kim Harris, David Yang and Eliana Yang.
Breathing Bamboo 吹き抜ける竹息
Traditional and contemporary music for multiple shakuhachi.
Featuring James Nyoraku Schlefer and Japanese Masters Akihisa Kominato, Akihito Obama, and Ken-ichi Tajima.
PC Japanese artists: Seiji Okumiya
Kammerraku Promise
Kyo-Shin-An Arts’ 15th Season begins with a special program of contemporary chamber music for Japanese and Western instruments by three extraordinary Japanese composers. Featuring the world premiere of American Prize Winner Masatora Goya's “Tree of Life” for shakuhachi and string quartet, plus works by Minoru Miki and Yoko Sato. Peformed by the Cassatt Quartet, with Yoko Reikano Kimura, koto and James Nyoraku Schlefer, shakuhachi.
TICKETS $25 IN ADVANCE. $30 AT THE DOOR.
Shamrock Spring
Join the crowd and celebrate spring with a touch of the Irish layered upon KSA's signature brand of music with Japanese and Western instruments. A festive performance featuring some of your favorite artists.
Yoko Reikano Kimura, koto and shamisen
James Nyoraku Schlefer, shakuhachi
Kathleen Supové, piano
Hikaru Tamaki, cello
Justin Jay Hines, percussion
All Tickets $20 at MUSAE. Masks are still required.
PROGRAM
Frolicking with the Birds by Marty Regan
koto and cello
Torio by Douglas J, Cuomo
shamisen, shakuhachi and piano
Sunday Man by Jake Tantleff
shakuhachi, cello, piano and percussion
Sky Dive by James Nyoraku Schlefer
shakuhachi, cello, piano and percussion
Intercultural Mash-Up on Irish Tunes
shakuhachi, shamisen, cello, piano and percussion
All ticket holders must wear masks at the performance.
Tickets will be refunded in the event of illness or quarantine due to Covid-19.
Kammerraku Harvest
Going back to St. Louis to the Touhill Center for the Performing Arts to perform with the Arianna String Quartet in an evening of music for traditional Japanese instruments and string quartet as part of UMSL’s International Performing Arts Series. This performance will feature Four Ethereal Songs for shakuhachi, koto, and string quartet by Aleksandra Vrebalov, and Floating Bridge of Heaven for shamisen, shakuhachi, and string quartet by Donald Womack. Plus sankyoku trios by Minoru Miki and James Nyoraku Schlefer
PROGRAM
Poem in the Evening (1973) – Minoru Miki
Moon Through the Pines (2022) – James Nyoraku Schlefer
Four Ethereal Pieces (2022) - Aleksandra Vrebalov
The Floating Bridge of Heaven (2014) – Donald Womack
Autumn Garden
Sankyoku Trio + Piano Trio!
Sumie Kaneko and Yoko Reikano Kimura; koto, shamisen and voice
James Nyoraku Schlefer; shakuhachi
NEAVE TRIO: Anna Williams, violin; Mikhail Veselov, cello; Eri Nakamura, piano
All Tickets $20 at MUSAE. Masks are still required.
Join us for an historic occasion - the amazing premiere of Forget Me Not, by Takuma Itoh, the world’s first commissioned sextet featuring koto, shamisen, shakuhachi, violin, cello and piano! Experience the stunning Ravel Piano Trio followed by the premiere of Wind Through the Pines, a new sankyoku trio by James Nyoraku Schlefer and then hear the ensembles together, redefined, in the new sound world created by one of our favorite composers!
Sunday, October 9, 2022 at 4:00 PM
All tickets are $20
Tenri Cultural Institute
43A West 13 Street, Manhattan
All ticket holders must wear masks at the performance.
Tickets will be refunded in the event of illness or quarantine due to Covid-19.
Japan Songs
The video premiere was amazing, but it is time for LIVE. Join us for the beauty of Japan Songs - an eclectic song collection for soprano, shakuhachi and piano trio featuring 6 songs by Victoria Bond, Douglas J. Cuomo, James Matheson, Paul Moravec, Jay Reise and Aleksandra Vrebalov. All poems translated from the original Japanese by Thomas E. McAuley. www.wakapoetry.net
Plus - The Winds of ACDEGA , a world premiere by Victoria Bond for shakuhachi, violin and cello and Autumn Fantasy (1980) by Minoru Miki for shakuhachi and piano.
All tickets are $20 at MUSAE. Vaccinations and masks are still required.
Spring Leaves
CELEBRATE LIVE MUSIC!!
Hikaru Tamaki, cello - Justin Hines, percussion James Nyoraku Schlefer, shakuhachi - Kathleen Supové, piano
Please join us for glorious music. From screen to stage - bringing two of our 2020 broadcast premieres to a live audience and adding two new world premieres to the mix.
Bamboo Forest
BAMBOO FOREST 竹の森
Kyo-Shin-An Arts’ 2021-22 Season continues LIVE at Tenri with an all-shakuhachi program!
Featuring the American premiere of Shakuhachi Five by renowned Japanese composer Dai Fujikura.Plus duos and trios by Elizabeth Brown, Fukuda Rando, James Nyoraku Schlefer. Performed by five world-class shakuhachi artists – all of them New Yorkers!
Performers: Elizabeth Brown, Marco Lienhard, Ralph Samuelson, James Nyoraku Schlefer and Zac Zinger
All Tickets are $20.00 – Advance purchase and at the door.
The audience will be limited to 44 people – get your tickets today! TICKET LINK
All ticket holders must be fully vaccinated and wear masks at the performance.
Proof of vaccination will be required.
Unvaccinated audience will not be admitted.
Sadly, we are unable to accommodate children under 12 at this time.
Tickets will be refunded in the event of illness or quarantine due to Covid-19.
Autumn Dream
Duo YUMENO 夢乃
Yoko Reikano Kimura, koto and shamisen & Hikaru Tamaki, cello
Live Only. Not Online.
The internationally acclaimed Duo YUMENO will perform the World Premiere of Dream Waves for cello and shamisen by James Nyoraku Schlefer and the American Premiere of Mosaic for koto and cello by Yutaka Makino. Plus duos by Kin’ichi Nakanoshima, Akira Nishimura and Takatomi Nobunaga.
All Tickets are $20.00 – Advance purchase and at the door.
The audience will be limited to 44 people – get your tickets today! TICKET LINK
All ticket holders must be fully vaccinated and wear masks at the performance.
Proof of vaccination will be required.
Unvaccinated audience will not be admitted.
Sadly, we are unable to accommodate children under 12 at this time.
Tickets will be refunded in the event of illness or quarantine due to Covid-19.
Kammerraku Rebirth
Recording another video for a broadcast premiere - and crossing our fingers for a limited live audience. Premiering two new works for string quartet with koto, shamisen and shakuhachi, representing the second half of KSA’s delayed 10th Anniversary Septet project. Kammerraku Dances by James Matheson and Spring Butterfly by Yoko Sato peformed by the Cassatt Quartet, Sumie Kaneko, Yoko Reikano Kimura and James Nyoraku Schlefer.
Bamboo-Raku
James Nyoraku Schlefer will perform his distinctive reimaginings of three classic shakuhachi honkyokus. Please join us for Brooklyn Sanya, Brooklyn Reibo and Brooklyn Tsuru no Sugomori.
Cellist, Hikaru Tamaki joins Nyoraku for Kio, the stunning duo for shakuhachi and cello by Michiyo Mamiya.
Recorded on May 2. Broadcast Premiere on Sunday, June 6, 2021.
Spring Light
Sumie Kaneko, Yoko Reikano Kimura and James Nyoraku Schlefer performing a program of traditional and contemporary music for koto, shamisen, shakuhachi and voice.
Recording at Tenri on February 28. Premiering for the Vernal Equinox on March 21!
PROGRAM
Yasha Mai (Dance of Yasha) by Kaoru Wada (b.1961)
Yachiyo Jishi by Fujinaga Kengyō (fl. 1740)
Hanakazashi (Floral Hair Ornament) by Seiho Kineya (1914 - 1996)
Miyako no Haru by Yamase Shoin I (1845-1908)
Japan Songs
Performed and recorded on December 6, 2020.
Tickets are $5 and up. Broadcasting begins December 20, 2020 at 3:00PM EST.
TICKET LINK PROGRAM NOTES SONG TEXTS
Deborah Lifton, soprano; James Nyoraku Schefer, shakuhachi; Sami Merdinian, violin; Laura Metcalf, cello; and Kathleen Supové, piano performing Japan Songs, an eclectic song collection for soprano, shakuhachi and piano trio. This KSA commission costars six composers: Victoria Bond, Douglas J. Cuomo, James Matheson, Paul Moravec, Jay Reise and Aleksandra Vrebalov.
Join us online to celebrate the 2020 Solstice with this virtual premiere! Live chat with composers, performers and the song/poem translator - Dr. Thomas E. McAuley from the University of Sheffield, UK.
FULL PROGRAM
JAPAN SONGS – PART 1 (2020)
Autumn Mountains by Victoria Bond
Eight Thousand Spears by Paul Moravec
Not A Trace by James Matheson
Avian Cradle (2020) by Kathleen Supové
solo piano
Oblivion by Astor Piazzolla (arranged by Yves Dharamraj)
Violin and cello
Density 21.5 by Edgard Varèse
solo shakuhachi
JAPAN SONGS – PART 2 (2020)
Kei’un Song -praying for love by Aleksandra Vrebalov
In the blink of an eye… by Jay Reise
Tree of Pearls by Douglas J. Cuomo
Virtual Fallen Leaves
Kyo-Shin-An Arts’ 2020-21 season opener, recorded in performance on October 25, 2020:
Two world premiere trios for piano, cello and shakuhachi by Randy Woolf and Masatora Goya. Plus a world premiere for solo piano by Eric Lyon and a new work for solo shakuhachi by Ingrid Arauco. The performers are Kathleen Supové, piano; Hikaru Tamaki, cello; and James Nyoraku Schlefer, shakuhachi.
The broadcast video will remain available indefinitely. Tickets are $5 and up. TICKET LINK.
PROGRAM
Bow Down (2020) by Randall Woolf (piano, cello and shakuhachi)
Manas (2020) by Masatora Goya (piano, cello and shakuhachi)
Screaming Fist from Earth to Kathy (2020) by Eric Lyon (solo piano)
Poem (Now it is spring) (2020) by Ingrid Arauco (solo shakuhachi)