Beginning next month, the Japan Society of Northern California is going to be bringing some of the biggest and most culturally important names from Japan to the Bay Area for their inaugural season of a new program titled Arts From Japan. As one would infer from the title, the year-long series is going to focus on Japanese music, both classical and contemporary. The lineup features musicians who have graced Bay Area stages multiple times, as well as those who will be making their Northern California debut.
September 14th: Opening night sees the return of Akiko Yano, who played her first San Francisco show two years ago, paired with Tsugaru-shamisen extraordinaire Hiromitsu Agatsuma. The pair will perform as Yano et Agatsuma for a concert that will see them draw from their 2020 album Asteroid And Butterfly, an album that saw the pair offering their versions of Japanese folk songs. I’m personally hoping to see their version of Akiko Yano’s song “Rose Garden.”
October 22: Joe Hisaishi, most famously known for his film scores for various Studio Ghibli films, will perform with the San Francisco Symphony. The performance will see him conducting the West Coast premier of his work Concerto For Orchestra, as well as selections from some of his most popular film scores.
October 27: A rare Bay Area appearance by piano virtuoso Kotaro Fukuma will see him focusing on two hundred years of piano repertoire that is focused on the theme of water. The selection of material will go back to Mendelssohn and Debussy, all the way to the more contemporary Japanese musician Toru Takemitsu, as well as Fukuma’s own transcriptions of Wagner and Smetana.
November 13-15: Another musician making a rare Bay Area appearance, violinist Sayaka Shoji will be conducted by Marie Jacquot, who will be making her debut with the San Francisco Symphony. The highlight of the evening will be a performance of Ottorino Respighi’s grandiose “Concerto Gregoriano.”
January 20 and January 24: The first Arts From Japan shows of 2027 will see Kodo, the most popular taiko drum group in the world, performing new and classic material from the group’s nearly fifty-year history. As someone who became a fan of Kodo back in high school, believe me when I say that this is a show to be excited about.
January 29: Grammy-nominated pianist Mitsuko Ochida will be performing a solo recital of works by some of the composers that she has been most associated with over her decades of musicianship. From Haydn’s “Variations In F Minor” to Schubert’s “Sonata In A Minor” and more, this is sure to be an evening that shows Ochida playing at the height of her powers.
February 21: Conductor and Bach specialist Masaaki Suzuki will lead the Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists in a performance of Bach’s “St. Matthew’s Passion.” Seeing the 26th and 27th chapters of the Gospel Of Matthew set to music, the Baroque standard was composed for double choir, double orchestra, and vocal soloists. Seeing it performed live is sure to be an unforgettable experience.
February 25: Some musicians have to be seen to be believed, and that is certainly the case for 15 year-old violin sensation HIMARI. Conducted by Jaap van Zweden, this will be a rare opportunity to catch a generational talent at the beginning of their artistic journey.
March 13: One of my most anticipated Arts From Japan shows, this event will find the endlessly expressive and innovative pianist HIROMI and the legendary jazz bassist Stanley Clarke joined by The PUBLIQuartet to perform a selection of work both by and inspired by the late great Chick Corea. For anyone with even a passing interest in jazz, this will be a night that you’ll never forget.
More information for every Arts From Japan show can be found here. Tickets to every Arts From Japan show can be purchased here.
