Reigakusha: Gagaku & Bugaku

Concert

Saturday, September 21, 2:30 PM SOLD OUT
Saturday, September 21, 7:30 PM — Followed by a MetLife Meet-the-Artists Reception SOLD OUT

Please Note: Both performances are sold out. A wait list will begin at the box office one hour prior to each show’s start time.

Known for its ethereal tones and timbres, gagaku has been the official music of the Japanese imperial court for over a millennium and has become synonymous with the luxurious court life of the Heian period (794—1185). Founded by the late Sukeyasu Shiba, a former member of the gagaku ensemble at the Imperial Household, the distinguished gagaku ensemble Reigakusha presents a full spectrum of the world’s oldest surviving orchestral music for this rare U.S. appearance. Reigakusha will perform from the ancient ceremonial repertoire including a bugaku piece (music ensemble with accompanying dancers) as well as contemporary works by Toru Takemitsu and Shiba himself.

A pre-performance lecture begins one hour prior to the start of the evening performance.

Tickets: $40/$32 members

EMPEROR SERIES: In celebration of Japanese Emperor Naruhito’s ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, our Fall 2019 performing arts lineup is filled with programs around the theme of the emperor. Usher in the Reiwa era with ancient court music, Shinto-based folktales and a modern noh play originally created for the 123rd emperor’s enthronement.

Box Office Policy

Reigakusha is supported by Arts Council Tokyo (Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture), The Japan Foundation, The JEC Fund, and The Asahi Shimbun Foundation.
                

Reigakusha is supported, in part, by an award from the Japan-United States Friendship Commission as part of the institution-wide Passing the Torch series.

 

Image: Reigakusha © Takehiko Tabuchi