By Todd Mitchell
Buffalonians
will have another rare opportunity to hear the music of the shakuhachi, the
Japanese bamboo flute, live this Thursday, September 3rd, at 7PM, at the
Burchfield-Penney Arts Center. This is a free performance.
Buffalo
native Joshua Smith, who has lived in Japan for 10 years, was introduced to the
shakuhachi when he took a class at the local community center in Japan. He now
studies under Okada Katsuya, and has produced two CDs. Joshua is back in Buffalo
visiting family, and generously offered to perform a concert or two while here.
You might have caught his first performance in August at Gusto at the Gallery.
Thursday night will be his second concert.
Joshua
will perform both traditional pieces and some pieces of his own composition.
Also
performing is Joseph Small, another Buffalo native trained at the world
famous Taiko institute, “Kodo” in Japan for two years and just
returned to his hometown. Joseph is also a choreographer and composes his
own Taiko music. Two Buffalo State faculty members will accompany them on piano
and clarinet. This performance is co-sponsored by the Burchfield-Penney Arts
Center, the Kanazawa Sister City Committee, and the Friends of the Japanese
Garden.
Following
the performance will be a special benefit reception to help support projects of
the Friends of the Japanese Garden. The suggested donation is $25.
“A
Celebration of the Japanese Garden of Buffalo” will be the Friends’ next fund
raising event. Join the Friends on Thursday, September 17th at the Marcy Casino
in Delaware Park from 4 to 7PM. Take a tour of the Japanese Garden at 4:30 or
6PM, and peruse displays of ikebana while enjoying a spot of Japanese green tea
before or after your tour. There will also be a presentation on Kanazawa,
Japan. The tours of the garden will be courtesy of Buffalo Tours. The suggested
donation for this event is $15, $5 for students.
The
Friends of the Japanese Garden of Buffalo will fund traineeships for two
Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy staff to learn about Japanese Gardening in
Japan in October 2009. The Olmsted
gardeners will meet Japanese colleagues for an intercultural exchange and bring
their experience back to Buffalo’s Japanese Garden.
For more
information, call 716.830.8267 or e-mail tjmichii@roadrunner.com.