DC’s cherry blossoms date back to a 1912 gift from the mayor of Tokyo. Celebrate this season with music from the Miyabi Koto Shamisen Ensemble, performed on the koto and shamisen, two Japanese instruments. The group will present a selection of classical and contemporary pieces.
About Miyabi Koto Shamisen Ensemble
Miyabi Koto Shamisen Ensemble is a New York-based group founded and headed by Ms. Masayo Ishigure. The ensemble members are from the Sawai Koto Academy — one of the most prominent schools for contemporary koto and shamisen music. The academy incorporates many influences from classical to jazz music and works to change the perception from koto as solely a traditional Japanese instrument to koto as an instrument of universal expressiveness.
Since its founding in 1996, the Miyabi Koto Shamisen Ensemble’s repertoire includes classical to contemporary koto and shamisen music and dedicates itself to playing Tadao Sawai’s compositions. Miyabi has performed concerts throughout New York City, the East Coast, Hawaii, and South America, and introduces Japanese culture through workshops and school performances.
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