SACRED MUSIC HOURS. THE SPRING SEA

DOZAN FUJIWARA (shakuhachi, Japan) JOJI MURASAWA (koto, shamisen, shakuhachi, Japan) Concert partner – The Japan Foundation Do you know what connects Japan and Lithuania? A love of nature. The Spring Sea, the warbling of a nightingale, a crane in its nest – the titles of these musical pieces sound like poems. And this is no coincidence: traditional Japanese music was born from the observation of nature, from the desire to convey its sounds, rhythm, and breath. Masters of traditional Japanese music are coming to Vilnius. Dozan Fujiwara is one of the most prominent figures in contemporary Japanese music, a grand master of the Tozan school, who has been shaping the modern sound of the shakuhachi for 25 years. He began playing this instrument under the legendary Hozan Yamamoto, a Living National Treasure of Japan. Joji Murasawa is a Doctor of Music from the Tokyo University of the Arts and a Grand Master of the Tozan school, one of the few performers who master several traditional Japanese instruments – koto, shakuhachi, and shamisen – with equal skill. On the occasion of his graduation, he performed for the Imperial Family. At the center of tonight's performance is the shakuhachi, a traditional Japanese bamboo flute whose sound is closer to breathing than to a conventional melody. Alongside it, the koto (Japanese zither) and the shamisen (three-stringed lute) will create a subtle yet highly expressive soundscape. The program features Michio Miyagi's "Haru no Umi" ("The Spring Sea"), "Uguisu" ("The Nightingale"), the Tozan school piece "Tsuru no Sugomori" ("The Crane's Nest"), and other works. Although this music was born on the other side of the world, it unexpectedly resonates with Lithuanian sensitivity – the kind found in our songs, our sense of the seasons, and the value of silence. Enjoy the landscapes of Japan in the heart of Vilnius. On the program: Michio Miyagi, traditional Japanese music Free admission

Adresas: Šv. Kazimiero bažnyčia