Yoko Shioya 20/20: Celebrating 20 Years of Artistic Vision
Yoko Shioya 20/20: Celebrating 20 Years of Artistic Vision
Join us in celebrating Japan Society’s Artistic Director Yoko Shioya’s 20th anniversary and support the future of the Performing Arts Program! Your donation today will make tomorrow’s unparalleled cultural experience possible.
For over seventy years, Japan Society’s Performing Arts Program has enriched the arts in New York City, the U.S. and beyond through the presentation of artists whose works are formed or inspired by the arts and culture of Japan. Taking the mantle as head of Japan Society’s Performing Arts Program in 2004, Yoko Shioya has carried this mission through the 21st century, programming over 200 events of the finest Japanese theater, dance, and music from the very traditional to the most cutting edge. In addition to her exponential increase of Japan Society commissions and North American tours, Yoko has been responsible for the launch of the Annual Play Reading for English-translated contemporary Japanese plays, the expansion of the Contemporary Dance Festival to encompass the newest works from across East Asia, pioneering the inclusion of new operas in Japan Society’s programming, and setting the careers of many Japanese artists in motion on the international stage.
This year, we honor Ms. Shioya’s groundbreaking and award-winning curation over 20 years with a full year of programming showcasing a broad range of vision – including the 20th anniversary revival of Yoko’s first curated commission, genius puppeteer Basil Twist’s award-winning Dogugaeshi; the momentous arrival of National Theatre’s legendary bunraku artists for a rare North American five-city tour, including the first performance of traditional bunraku puppetry from Japan in New York City in 32 years; the long-awaited return of legendary Korean-Japanese avant-garde theater director Kim Sujin in Shuji Terayama’s Duke Bluebeard’s Castle; the 20th iteration of the Contemporary Dance Festival: Japan + East Asia; and several premieres and US debut performances, including Sachiyo Takahashi | Nekaa Lab’s Shinnai Meets Puppetry, a concert by traditional instrument supergroup The Shakuhachi 5, and a two-event feature for rising percussion wizard Shun Ishiwaka.
In celebrating Yoko’s milestone, her long-time friend and collaborator, Hiroshi Sugimoto, one of the most established contemporary Japanese artists of his time, has donated his work to be auctioned off for this important cause. The proceeds of the auction will go directly to the Yoko Shioya 20/20 campaign. Place your bid here.
Your support will help us continue to inspire awe, push boundaries, educate and make creative visions come true. Support the future of Japan Society’s Performing Arts Program today to enrich your cultural life tomorrow.
About Yoko Shioya
Yoko Shioya |
Yoko Shioya |
Yoko Shioya became Artistic Director of Japan Society in 2006. The Society’s 2024-2025 Performing Arts season marks the 20th anniversary since Yoko took the helm of the Performing Arts program. During her tenure, she has enlarged the scale and number of commissions to Americans and non-Japanese artists to create new works related to Japanese culture and increased the number of Society-produced/organized tours to distribute performing arts and music productions throughout North America. She also launched new projects such as Artists-in-Residency for Japanese artists and Annual Play Reading for English-translated contemporary Japanese plays.
For Japan Society’s centennial celebration in 2007, Shioya conceived and materialized the first JAPAN CUTS: Festival of New Japanese Cinema, which is the largest festival of its kind and has become one of the signature annual summer events in New York City.
Known in Japan as a writer/researcher on the public and private arts support systems, Shioya has been invited to speak at numerous symposia, lectures, and TV programs presented by the Agency for Cultural Affairs of the Japanese government, Keidanren, the Academy of Cultural Economics and the Japan Council of Performers’ Organizations, among others.
She has been a regular contributor to the Asahi Newspaper, writing columns on performing arts and exhibitions, and has served as a committee member and selection panelist for numerous programs, including The Herb Alpert Award in the Arts, The Bessie Awards, Rolex Mentor and Protege International Program, The MAP Fund, New England Arts Foundation, and the Toyota Choreography Awards. In 2019, Bessie Award awarded Shioya the “Bessies Presenter Award for Outstanding Curating.” In 2023, the Ministry of Culture of the Taiwan Government awarded her the “Cultural Collaboration Medal.” Shioya holds BAs in musicology and dance history from Tokyo University of the Arts.
For support opportunities, please contact:
Todd Nicholson
Director, Major & Planned Giving
212-715-1241 or [email protected]