This concert by the one-of-a-kind koto ensemble Michiyo Yagi’s Talon showcased five different types of the instrument (13-, 17-, 18-, 21-, and 25-string) plus vocals and electronics. On several compositions the koto players Michiyo Yagi, Maki Isogai, Hiroko Takahashi, and Michie Kobayashi were joined by the expressive and iconoclastic clarinettist Keiko Komori in an attempt to expand the possibilities of Japanese music. In addition to the Yagi
compositions “Zazanza” (Wind Through Pines), “Wasabi Juice”, “Mizuhanada”(Water Line), “Momonomi” (Peach Fruit), and “Amatsukaze” (Heavenly Wind)
[revised version], the audience heard two world premieres of newly commissioned works: “Glimpses of Air” by the Polish clarinettist and composer Waclaw Zimpel, and “Breeze Through Azabu” by the American Tuba player and composer William Roper. Showcasing the koto from multiple
Perspectives, this concert combined Eastern and Western music in fresh and compelling ways.