The concert series “Contemporary Music x Noh” showcases new contemporary music works composed for Utai (chanted Noh music), with 40 composers from 19 countries around the globe contributing music to the project since its inception in 2010. In addition to several world premieres, this 10th Anniversary Concert featured the performance of a selection of pieces from the Noh singing repertoire to date. Young string instrumentalists including the Noh singer Ryoko Aoki, violinists Tatsuki Narita and Ryosuke Suho, viola player Kei Tojo, and cellist Ayano Kamimura performed the world premieres of new works by Annelies Van Parys and Naoki Sakata as well as the Japan premiere of a new work by Claude Ledoux.
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Established in 2007 and centering around Noh singer Ryoko Aoki, this ensemble pursues and practices the fusion of Noh with contemporary music. By commissioning international contemporary music composers to write new works utilizing elements of Noh Utai chanting, the ensemble posits a new form of culture based on a traditional Japanese one and takes a fresh look at the cultural significance of traditional performing arts in the present time. The ensemble’s purpose is to reconstruct a Japanese aesthetic fostered through history and tradition and promote it worldwide.
Tokyo Bunka Kaikan Recital Hall, Taito City, Tokyo