2017 / Los Angeles-based koto master Yoko Awaya with violinist Sachiyo Yoshimoto to perform at Japanese garden event in Phoenix, Oct. 6-7
Video: Koto music “Kojo no Tsuki” (Moon over the Ruined Castle) by Yoko Awaya, left, and Sachiyo Yoshimoto at the Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix on Oct. 7, 2017.
Los Angeles-based koto master Yoko Awaya and violinist Sachiyo Yoshimoto were invited to perform at “Otsukimi: Moon-viewing Festival” in the Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix on October 6 and 7.
Yoko Awaya and Sachiyo Yoshimoto
Koto and Violin
Friday & Saturday, October 6 & 7
Bridge in the Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix
http://japanesefriendshipgarden.org/otsukimi2017
Koto Master Yoko Awaya
Yoko Awaya
Los Angeles-based Yoko Awaya in one of the leading Koto artists in the U.S. who has been invited to perform in major cities throughout the U.S. She was also featured in American television and motion picture soundtracks and recording.
Yoko Awaya studied koto and shamisen in Tokyo, where she received her teaching credentials and master degree from the Michio Miyagi School of Koto. After she moved to Los Angeles, Awaya continued her practices of koto, and in 1975, she founded the Awaya-Kai to perpetuate koto music in Los Angeles.
Teaching koto in the Greater Los Angeles area for over 40 years, Awaya has organized the Awaya-Kai Concert in biennial-period at major venues in Los Angeles and the Awaya-Kai marks the 20th concert for the 40th anniversary in April 2017.
In 1994, Awaya-Kai became a nonprofit organization the Yoko Awaya Koto Music Conservatory.
Violinist Sachiyo Yoshimoto
Sachiyo Yoshimoto
The Tokyo-born Sachiyo Yoshimoto was raised in Los Angeles where she attended The Colburn School of Performing Arts and received her B.F.A from the University of Southern California. She is a versatile performer of world music on the violin, koto and qanun (koto-like Arabic instrument).
Yoshimoto has performed throughout the U.S., Europe and Middle East at venues such as the Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, Music Instrumental Museum in Phoenix, Radio Beirut in Lebanon, Cairo Opera House in Egypt, Lincoln Center Out Of Doors in New York, and Teatro Carignano di Torino in Italy.
She is a violinist with the National Arab Orchestra in Detroit, and New York Arabic Orchestra. She is also one of the founding members of SAVICTO, a Los Angeles based world music ensemble performing and promoting music of the Silk Road.
Yoshimoto currently serves as the violin faculty at the Santa Monica Youth Orchestra, a non-profit organization inspired by the El Sistema model of music education. For the 2017 summer concert program, Yoshimoto invited Awaya as the featured soloist in performing an orchestration version of Sakura, for which she arranged a beautiful rendition of this popular Japanese song on the koto to accompany a 40-piece orchestra.
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This concert was a huge success forging a dynamic music collaboration between Yoshimoto and Awaya in promoting Japanese arts and culture to young musicians and their parents. They look forward to performing together in the future featuring the koto, violin and integrating many other musical instruments and genres.
Santa Monica Youth Orchestra with Yoko Awaya.
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Yoko Awaya and Sachiyo Yoshimoto
Koto and Violin
Friday & Saturday, October 6 & 7
Bridge in the Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix
http://japanesefriendshipgarden.org/otsukimi2017
Program (Subject to change)
春の海 Sea of Spring
月の砂漠 Moon Desert
荒城の月 Moon over the ruined castle
さくらさくら Cherry Blossom
赤とんぼ Red Dragonfly
花 / 作・喜納昌吉 Blossom by Kina Shokichi
上を向いて歩こう Sukiyaki
花 筏（はないかだ）Raft Flowers
ヘイジュード Hay Jude, world music by John Lennon and Paul McCartney
