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Kodo x Tokyo Symphony Orchestra “Inochi”

Kodo’s next chapter begins here

Join Kodo for a spectacular concert event featuring Tokyo Symphony Orchestra and Tatsuya Shimono, one of Japan’s leading conductors and long-serving music advisor to the Kodo ensemble.

“Inochi” means life or life force. The eponymous piece was composed especially for this concert by Ryotaro Leo Ikenaga. Making its world premiere at this performance, it also makes history as the first composition by a Kodo member ever to be performed by an orchestra.
The programme also features “Mono-Prism,” the late Maki Ishii’s opus for taiko and orchestra. Kodo’s 40th anniversary is the perfect occasion for the ensemble to hand this piece down to the next generation—as part of its legacy, and as inspiration for future creations.
The finale is a journey deep into the vast possibilities of taiko and music with “Song of the Universe” by renowned composer Isao Tomita. Combined, these three works depict the culmination of Kodo’s four decades of history as the ensemble embarks on its next ground-breaking chapter.

Programme

“Mono-Prism” | Composed for Japanese drums and orchestra by Maki Ishii, 1976.
“Inochi” | Composed by Ryotaro Leo Ikenaga, 2021. World premiere performance.
“Song of the Universe” | Composed by Isao Tomita, 1994. From Kodo with Isao Tomita album “Nasca Fantasy.”

Director

Ryotaro Leo Ikenaga

Conductor

Tatsuya Shimono

Featuring

Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Kodo Taiko Performing Arts Ensemble

Kodo Performers*: Eiichi Saito, Yoshie Abe, Kenta Nakagome, Shogo Komatsuzaki, Koki Miura, Reo Kitabayashi, Mizuki Yoneyama, Issei Kohira, Yuta Kimura, Yuki Hirata, Sho Nakatani, Moe Niiyama, Jumpei Nonaka.
*Cast is subject to change.

Oct. 20 Update: Mitsuru Ishizuka will no longer appear for reasons related to his physical condition.

Kodo 40th Anniversary Commemorative Work II—Kodo x Tokyo Symphony Orchestra “Inochi”

Oct 30 (Sat), 2021 Muza Kawasaki Symphony Hall, Kawasaki, Kanagawa

Doors Open:

14:00

Start:

15:00

Advance:

SS Seats10,000 yen, S Seats 9,500 yen, A Seats 8,000 yen, B Seats 6,000 yen
SS Seats are sold out.

At-the-door:

Door sales will be available from 13:30.
S Seats 9,500 yen, A Seats 8,000 yen, B Seats 6,000 yen

Seating Details:

All seats reserved. Please refrain from bringing preschoolers (ages 5 & under).

Ticket Availability:

Tickets on sale from July 16 (Fri)

Ticket Outlets:

・tvk Ticket Counter Tel. 045-663-9999
http://tvkcom.net

・Muza Kawasaki Symphony Hall, Tel. 044-520-0200
https://www.kawasaki-sym-hall.jp/ticket/

・Kodo Ticket Service Tel. 0259-86-2330  https://piagettii.e-get.jp/kodo/pt/

Kodo no Kai Pre-Orders:

Available from May 28 (Fri) 12:00 until May 31 (Mon) 23:59.

Details have been sent to Kodo no Kai members. To join our Japanese-language supporter service Kodo no Kai, please contact us via this form or see our website for details (in Japanese only).

Venue Address:

1310 Omiya-cho, Saiwai Ward, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 〒212-0014

Venue Access:

3-min. walk from JR Kawasaki Stn. or 8-min. walk from Keikyu Kawasaki Stn.
https://www.kawasaki-sym-hall.jp/e/access/

Venue Website:

https://www.kawasaki-sym-hall.jp/index_e.php

Inquiries:

Kodo Tel. 0259-86-3630

Note(s):

Online sales are available in Japanese only. English assistance by telephone is subject to availability. If you require extra help, please contact the Kodo Office via this form.

Profiles:

Tatsuya Shimono (Conductor)

Born in Kagoshima in 1969, Tatsuya Shimono cemented his international reputation as a conductor by winning the First Prize at the 47th Besançon International Competition in 2001. Since then he has regular relationships with a number of international orchestras including Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie Konstanz and Silicon Valley Symphony, alongside major Japanese orchestras.

In 2006, Shimono was appointed Resident Conductor of the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra and served as their Principal Guest Conductor from 2013 through 2017. In April 2017, he was invited to join the faculty of the Kyoto City University of Arts in April 2017.

http://www.tatsuyashimono.com/

Photo: Naoya Yamaguchi

Tokyo Symphony Orchestra

The Tokyo Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1946 as TOHO Symphony Orchestra, under the management of Toho, a motion picture company. Its name changed to Tokyo Symphony Orchestra (TSO) in 1951. TSO has a reputation for giving first performances of a number of new contemporary music and opera, for which it has received most of Japan’s major music awards including the Minister of Education Award, Mainichi Art Award, Agency for Cultural Affairs Art Award, Suntory Music Award, and Kawasaki City Culture Award. The orchestra performs over 160 times a year, combining both self-produced performances and commissioned performances. Along with the concerts it presents at Suntory Hall, Muza Kawasaki Symphony Hall, and Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall, TSO also draws attention for the concerts, outreach initiatives, and educational programmes it is developing and offering through partnerships with Kawasaki City, Niigata City, and Hachioji City. Its diverse offerings include The “Subscription Concert for Children” series and the “Orchestra Experience from Age Zero” project. Furthermore, TSO has been playing at New National Theatre, Tokyo’s opera and ballet performances from January through March every year as one of the two regularly performing orchestras. Outside of Japan, the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra has performed 78 times in 58 cities to date. The orchestra continues to break new ground by incorporating technology into its activities. In 2018, TSO launched “TSO Music & Video Subscription,” the first-ever digital project by a Japanese orchestra, which shares live-concert videos and music as well as CD recordings. In March 2020, the orchestra live-streamed a concert without an audience on nico-nico Live Channel, which attracted more than 200,000 viewers nationwide. The orchestra has Jonathan Nott as Music Director, Kazuyoshi Akiyama and Hubert Soudant as Conductor Laureates, Naoto Otomo as Honorary Guest Conductor, and Norichika Iimori as Special Guest Conductor.
http://tokyosymphony.jp/

Kodo Taiko Performing Arts Ensemble

Exploring the limitless possibilities of the traditional Japanese drum, the taiko, Kodo is forging new directions for a vibrant living art-form. Since the group’s debut at the Berlin Festival in 1981, Kodo has given over 6,500 performances on all five continents. In 2021, the ensemble is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Kodo strives to both preserve and re-interpret traditional Japanese performing arts. Thanks to its extensive world tours, collaborations with other artists and composers right across the musical spectrum, and a lack of preconceptions about its music, Kodo continues to produce startling new fusion and forms. Every year since 1988, Kodo welcomes artists and festivalgoers from far and wide to its island home in the Sea of Japan, Sado, for international arts festival Earth Celebration (EC). Produced by Kodo in cooperation with the people of Sado, EC seeks to create an alternative global culture through musical and cultural collaborations with artists from around the world.

Supported by:

The Agency of Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan through the Japan Arts Council
The Kao Foundation for Arts and Sciences

Flyer PDF