The world of modern music in the 21st century is one in which new forms of expression are constantly being invented; however, it still takes time for the latest trends to hit Japan. There are also many historical pieces from the 21st century which are simply not played in Japan due to their difficulty. Furthermore, with the exception of a very small collection of composers, there is practically no modern music from Japan that is known to the outside world. Tokyo Gen’On Project, an ensemble group composed of performers in the forefront of the modern music field in Japan, hopes to change this situation by introducing quality works from both inside and outside Japan. For this year’s “Italian Selection,” they have invited composer Yoichi Sugiyama, who currently resides in Italy, to write a new piece for them. Member Sumihisa Arima has chosen a particularly difficult piece by Luigi Nono.