Sounds of Japan: A Cultural Journey with Masayo Ishigure

A musical journey exploring Japan’s heritage through the koto, shamisen, and beyond.

A master of the traditional Japanese horizontal harp or zither, the koto, Masayo Ishigure will bring the talent that led to her playing on a Grammy Award-winning soundtrack by famed composer John Williams ("Memoirs of a Geisha")
Masayo will be performing with an additional koto player and one shamisen player.
For the final piece, they would like all attendees to join in the music by singing and clapping along. A 10-minute trial will also be possible.
In order to complete the performance within one hour, the performance will be approximately 45 minutes, followed by a 15-minute Q&A and trial, for a total of one hour.
All 3 players will be wearing kimonos, a traditional Japanese costume.

All ages are invited to a captivating experience of traditional Japanese music, accompanied by dance, tea ceremony, kimono culture, and time-honored crafts. Through these rich cultural elements, you will feel as if you are journeying through Japan itself.

This event is sponsored by The Friends of the Englewood Library.

Masayo Ishigure is a New York based Koto and Shamisen Player. She began playing the koto and jiuta shamisen at the age of five in Gifu, Japan and has created an extensive multi-faceted career that continues to stretch the limits of the koto while maintaining a strong grasp of the tradition. After initial studies with Tadao and Kazue Sawai, Masayo became a special research student in 1986 at the Sawai Koto Academy of Music. The academy incorporates many influences from classical to jazz and aims to change the perception of the koto from solely as a traditional Japanese instrument to an instrument of universal expressiveness. Learn more about Masayo at masayoishigure.com

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