This March, Between the Bars welcomes Duo YUMENO with a program where East meets West, as the shamisen meets the cello.
*Please note that this event will take place at Manhattan Elite Club, 225 West 34th Street, New York, NY 10122.
PROGRAM
Seihō Kineya: Hanakazashi 花簪
Shōsei Nakanoshima: Matsukaze 松風
Toshirō Mayuzumi: Bunraku 文楽
Yoko Sato: In the Land of Dreams
Hiroki Tamaki: Tango Akiko
ABOUT Duo YUMENO
New York based koto / shamisen player and singer Yoko Reikano Kimura and cellist Hikaru Tamaki create a singular fusion of sound, inspired by tradition but with a contemporary sensibility. Duo YUMENO’s repertoire includes a dynamic range of compositions – both traditional and contemporary – all of which explore the dialogue between classical Japanese and western music. In 2014, they were awarded the Chamber Music America Classical Commissioning Program grant and in 2015, received the Aoyama Baroque Saal Award.
Kimura and Tamaki have performed at venues such as the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall and the John F Kennedy Center. They have held a successful annual tout of Japan since 2010 and as cultural ambassadors of Japanese music have also performed in Turkey, Trinidad, Colombia, Puerto Rico and at Cambridge University. Their collaboration with the Japanese Paper Film Project (Bucknell University), which began in 2024, has taken and will take them to many venues in the US and abroad, as they compose and provide live music to accompany paper films – a novel form of silent shorts produced only in Japan during the 1930s. In 2024, Heike Quinto, a multi-year commission work to composer Daron Hagen, was released by the Naxos label.
Koto / shamisen player and singer Yoko Reikano Kimura was awarded the First prize at the prestigious 10th Kenjun Memorial National Koto Competition. As soloist, she has performed with numerous string quartets, chamber ensembles and chamber orchestras.
Hikaru Tamaki was a prizewinner in the Viva Hall Cello Competition and served as the principal cellist of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic. He is currently a member of the Berkshire Opera Festival Orchestra and the Albany Symphony.
Photo by Robert Essel
Photo by Kasia Idzkowska
About Between the Bars
Every last Sunday of the month, BTB brings you an intimate workshop where we gather in unique venues to create casual and interactive opportunities to learn more about music. Paired with a curated selection of wine and light refreshments, each month features a different theme and artists who bring music, stories, and ideas to the conversation. All workshops are specially curated for people from all backgrounds to learn, share, and connect.
General Admission: $15 (Wine and snack will be served)
Free for NACMS Members