Saturday, April 26, 2025 at 7pm
Martha Graham Studio Theater 55 Bethune St, New York, NY 10014 Tickets: $25 Adults / $10 Students Cash or credit at the door Or purchased here online https://www.simpletix.com/e/gagaku-trio-cello-presented-by-ram-and-tok-tickets-209115 Contact: [email protected] https://www.ram-nyc.org/ram-concerts-april-2025 Portions of this program will be performed Sunday, April 27 Queens Botanical Gardens. 10am Sunday, April 27 Sanctuary on the Green. Bloomfield, NJ. 3pm For more information on these concerts, contact: [email protected] 
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東京とNY TOKYO TO NEW YORK & RANDOM ACCESS MUSIC present GAGAKU TRIO + CELLO A concert of ancient and new music for Japanese traditional Gagaku instruments (ryuteki, hichiriki & ohichiriki, sho & u) and cello. LISH LINDSEY ~ ryuteki 龍笛 THOMAS PIERCY ~ hichiriki, ohichiriki 篳篥, 大篳篥 FABIO RAMBELLI ~ sho, u 笙, 竽 DANIEL HASS ~ cello チェロ Program 陪臚 “Bairo” for ryuteki, hichiriki, and sho (Traditional Japanese gagaku; c. 700 CE) JEAN-PATRICK BESINGRAND “Prenant une épine au lieu d’une luciole” for ryuteki, hichiriki, and u (2025) (World Premiere) * GILBERT GALINDO “Meditation: Hope” for ryuteki, hichiriki, sho, and cello (2025) (World Premiere) * MASATORA GOYA “Onibi” for ryuteki, hichiriki, and sho (2022) * DANIEL HASS “Hear the Wind Sing” for ryuteki, ohichiriki, u, and cello (2025) (World Premiere) * ZHIHUA HU “Emperor Zetian Dasheng” for ryuteki, hichiriki, sho, and cello (2025) (World Premiere) * ALLEN SCHULZ “Nightfall at Lake Yamanaka" for ryuteki, hichiriki, sho (2025) (World Premiere) * FRANCES WHITE “Night ceremony” for ryuteki, hichiriki, u, electronic sound (2025) (World Premiere) * JOHN COLTRANE “Ogunde” arranged for sho by Fabio Rambelli LISH LINDSEY "Endless Mountains" for ryuteki THOMAS PIERCY "Mienai Sakebigoe" (Invisible Scream) for hichiriki (2012) FABIO RAMBELLI “Ricercare” for ryuteki, hichiriki, and sho * Commissioned by Thomas Piercy for “Tokyo to New York” and “Random Access Music” and made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. |
東京とNY Tokyo to New York and Random Access Music (RAM) present Gagaku Trio + Cello. A rare opportunity to experience ancient Japanese instruments in New York City performing traditional Japanese gagaku music as well as seven world premieres.
On April 26, 2025, at 7 pm, the Martha Graham Studio Theater will host a musical event featuring a gagaku trio (ryuteki, hichiriki, sho) + cello, presented by Random Access Music (RAM) and Tokyo to New York.
Gagaku, Japan's ancient court music, is seldom performed outside Japan, and live concerts featuring its traditional instruments—the ryuteki (flute), hichiriki/ohichiriki (double reed), sho/u (mouth organ), —are exceedingly rare in NYC. This concert offers an opportunity to hear these instruments in person, showcasing their sounds that have been preserved for over 1,300 years. The gagaku trio, comprising Lish Lindsey (ryuteki), Thomas Piercy (hichiriki, ohichiriki), and Fabio Rambelli (sho, u), will be joined by cellist Daniel Hass for an evening of contemporary compositions and traditional gagaku music.
The gagaku trio members, Lindsey, Piercy, and Rambelli, have studied gagaku in Japan, mastering the art of this ancient Japanese court music that dates back over 1300 years. Their expertise in traditional gagaku, combined with their commitment to expanding its possibilities through new compositions, promises an unparalleled musical experience.
The program features an impressive lineup of world premieres, including four pieces composed specifically for the trio and three for the trio with cello. The concert also includes performances of several works from their 1st CD "New Heritage.” Audiences will have the opportunity to witness the fusion of ancient instruments with modern compositions.
The concert will include "Bairo," a traditional Japanese gagaku piece from around 700 CE, setting the stage for a journey through time and musical styles with premieres by composers Jean-Patrick Besingrand, Gilbert Galindo, Masatora Goya, Daniel Hass, Zhihua Hu, Allen Schulz, Frances White; an arrangement of John Coltrane’s Ogunde; and new music by the performers Lindsey, Piercy, and Rambelli.
Experience the haunting beauty of gagaku instruments and witness the evolution of this ancient art form in compositions. Thomas Piercy, Executive Director of Random Access Music and Tokyo to New York, emphasizes the significance of this event as “a concert respecting tradition and embracing innovation. It's an extraordinary opportunity for New Yorkers to experience the ethereal sounds of gagaku instruments in a contemporary context."
On April 26, 2025, at 7 pm, the Martha Graham Studio Theater will host a musical event featuring a gagaku trio (ryuteki, hichiriki, sho) + cello, presented by Random Access Music (RAM) and Tokyo to New York.
Gagaku, Japan's ancient court music, is seldom performed outside Japan, and live concerts featuring its traditional instruments—the ryuteki (flute), hichiriki/ohichiriki (double reed), sho/u (mouth organ), —are exceedingly rare in NYC. This concert offers an opportunity to hear these instruments in person, showcasing their sounds that have been preserved for over 1,300 years. The gagaku trio, comprising Lish Lindsey (ryuteki), Thomas Piercy (hichiriki, ohichiriki), and Fabio Rambelli (sho, u), will be joined by cellist Daniel Hass for an evening of contemporary compositions and traditional gagaku music.
The gagaku trio members, Lindsey, Piercy, and Rambelli, have studied gagaku in Japan, mastering the art of this ancient Japanese court music that dates back over 1300 years. Their expertise in traditional gagaku, combined with their commitment to expanding its possibilities through new compositions, promises an unparalleled musical experience.
The program features an impressive lineup of world premieres, including four pieces composed specifically for the trio and three for the trio with cello. The concert also includes performances of several works from their 1st CD "New Heritage.” Audiences will have the opportunity to witness the fusion of ancient instruments with modern compositions.
The concert will include "Bairo," a traditional Japanese gagaku piece from around 700 CE, setting the stage for a journey through time and musical styles with premieres by composers Jean-Patrick Besingrand, Gilbert Galindo, Masatora Goya, Daniel Hass, Zhihua Hu, Allen Schulz, Frances White; an arrangement of John Coltrane’s Ogunde; and new music by the performers Lindsey, Piercy, and Rambelli.
Experience the haunting beauty of gagaku instruments and witness the evolution of this ancient art form in compositions. Thomas Piercy, Executive Director of Random Access Music and Tokyo to New York, emphasizes the significance of this event as “a concert respecting tradition and embracing innovation. It's an extraordinary opportunity for New Yorkers to experience the ethereal sounds of gagaku instruments in a contemporary context."
PROGRAM NOTES
(Click on performers' and composers' links for bios/profiles.)
LISH LINDSEY ~ ryuteki
THOMAS PIERCY ~ hichiriki, ohichiriki
FABIO RAMBELLI ~ sho, u
DANIEL HASS ~ cello
陪臚 “Bairo” for ryuteki, hichiriki, and sho
(Traditional Japanese gagaku; c. 700 CE)
JEAN-PATRICK BESINGRAND
“Prenant une épine au lieu d’une luciole”
for ryuteki, hichiriki, and u (2025) (World Premiere) *
"Prenant one épine au lieu d’une luciole" is taken from the French translation of a haiku by Matsuo Bashō. This piece is part of a series of works centered around the theme of fireflies (lucioles). In this collection, the instruments evolve together, emerging alternately from one another and at times emancipating themselves from each other. The three instruments attempt to blend, but at times their timbres break apart—sometimes abruptly, like the moment of realization when a thorn (épine) is mistaken for a firefly.
Prenant one épine au lieu d’une luciole is warmly dedicated to Thomas Piercy, Lish Lindsey, and Fabio Rambelli.
GILBERT GALINDO
“Meditation: Hope”
for ryuteki, hichiriki, sho, and cello (2025) (World Premiere) *
Calm meditative backgrounds accompany utterances of hope, sometimes as earnest pleas and other times in playfulness without worry.
MASATORA GOYA
“Onibi” for ryuteki, hichiriki, and sho (2022) *
"Onibi" could be translated as a "ghost fire", a kind of foxfire they used to believe that the souls of the deceased are floating around in a field. In this work, you are a newborn ghost fire, trying to remember who it was, but gradually the consciousness fading away. My attempt here is to realize the theatrical imagination of Noh through the sound of Gagaku, for the two Japanese traditions existed separately in history, as well as interpreting them through the filter of Western chamber music.
DANIEL HASS
“Hear the Wind Sing”
for ryuteki, ohichiriki, u, and cello (2025) (World Premiere) *
"Hear the Wind Sing" is a short foray into unanswered questions; how ideas begin or end, where they come from, where they lead to. This piece is an opportunity to say "I don't know, and that's alright."
ZHIHUA HU
“Emperor Zetian Dasheng”
for ryuteki, hichiriki, sho, and cello (2025) (World Premiere) *
The composition “Emperor Zetian Dasheng” was inspired by the true life experience of Wu Zetian China’s first and only female emperor who lived from the Tang Dynasty to the Wu Zhou period. She established Wu Zhou Dynasty in 690 AD and ruled as emperor. She is considered one of the greatest emperors in Chinese history due to her strong leadership and effective governance, which made China one of the world's most powerful nations. During her life, and posthumously, Wu Zetian was awarded various official titles. She was awarded title as Emperor Zetian Dasheng in 705 AD.
Composer Zhihua Hu employed Ryuteki, Hichiriki, Sho and Cello as the instrumentation of this composition to create the special and solemn atmosphere when Wu Zetian was awarded title as Emperor Zetian Dasheng several months before she passed away in December 705 AD.
ALLEN SCHULZ
“Nightfall at Lake Yamanaka"
for ryuteki, hichiriki, sho (2025) (World Premiere) *
As I began preparing for this work and attempting to write music for instruments that I am both unfamiliar with and don't fit my typical style of shifting, complex rhythms and time signatures, I noted that many Japanese composers took inspiration from the natural world: mountains, forests, rivers, or weather. I found one picture from Japan of the moon rising at nightfall over Lake Yamanaka that was so beautiful, I instantly knew this would be my inspiration. The moon reflected off the still waters and a few stars were beginning to break through the darkness.
I'd like to thank Tom Piercy for the opportunity to explore this new sound world.
FRANCES WHITE
“Night ceremony”
for ryuteki, hichiriki, u, electronic sound (2025) (World Premiere) *
JOHN COLTRANE “Ogunde” arranged for sho by Fabio Rambelli
LISH LINDSEY
"Endless Mountains" for ryuteki
THOMAS PIERCY
"Mienai Sakebigoe" (Invisible Scream) for hichiriki (2012)
"Mienai Sakebigoe" (Invisible Scream) was composed in the aftermath of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. The piece was inspired by the haunting image of a man standing on the shore, silently screaming for his lost loved ones to reappear.
FABIO RAMBELLI
“Ricercare” for ryuteki, hichiriki, and sho
* Commissioned by Thomas Piercy for “Tokyo to New York” and “Random Access Music” and made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
(Click on performers' and composers' links for bios/profiles.)
LISH LINDSEY ~ ryuteki
THOMAS PIERCY ~ hichiriki, ohichiriki
FABIO RAMBELLI ~ sho, u
DANIEL HASS ~ cello
陪臚 “Bairo” for ryuteki, hichiriki, and sho
(Traditional Japanese gagaku; c. 700 CE)
JEAN-PATRICK BESINGRAND
“Prenant une épine au lieu d’une luciole”
for ryuteki, hichiriki, and u (2025) (World Premiere) *
"Prenant one épine au lieu d’une luciole" is taken from the French translation of a haiku by Matsuo Bashō. This piece is part of a series of works centered around the theme of fireflies (lucioles). In this collection, the instruments evolve together, emerging alternately from one another and at times emancipating themselves from each other. The three instruments attempt to blend, but at times their timbres break apart—sometimes abruptly, like the moment of realization when a thorn (épine) is mistaken for a firefly.
Prenant one épine au lieu d’une luciole is warmly dedicated to Thomas Piercy, Lish Lindsey, and Fabio Rambelli.
GILBERT GALINDO
“Meditation: Hope”
for ryuteki, hichiriki, sho, and cello (2025) (World Premiere) *
Calm meditative backgrounds accompany utterances of hope, sometimes as earnest pleas and other times in playfulness without worry.
MASATORA GOYA
“Onibi” for ryuteki, hichiriki, and sho (2022) *
"Onibi" could be translated as a "ghost fire", a kind of foxfire they used to believe that the souls of the deceased are floating around in a field. In this work, you are a newborn ghost fire, trying to remember who it was, but gradually the consciousness fading away. My attempt here is to realize the theatrical imagination of Noh through the sound of Gagaku, for the two Japanese traditions existed separately in history, as well as interpreting them through the filter of Western chamber music.
DANIEL HASS
“Hear the Wind Sing”
for ryuteki, ohichiriki, u, and cello (2025) (World Premiere) *
"Hear the Wind Sing" is a short foray into unanswered questions; how ideas begin or end, where they come from, where they lead to. This piece is an opportunity to say "I don't know, and that's alright."
ZHIHUA HU
“Emperor Zetian Dasheng”
for ryuteki, hichiriki, sho, and cello (2025) (World Premiere) *
The composition “Emperor Zetian Dasheng” was inspired by the true life experience of Wu Zetian China’s first and only female emperor who lived from the Tang Dynasty to the Wu Zhou period. She established Wu Zhou Dynasty in 690 AD and ruled as emperor. She is considered one of the greatest emperors in Chinese history due to her strong leadership and effective governance, which made China one of the world's most powerful nations. During her life, and posthumously, Wu Zetian was awarded various official titles. She was awarded title as Emperor Zetian Dasheng in 705 AD.
Composer Zhihua Hu employed Ryuteki, Hichiriki, Sho and Cello as the instrumentation of this composition to create the special and solemn atmosphere when Wu Zetian was awarded title as Emperor Zetian Dasheng several months before she passed away in December 705 AD.
ALLEN SCHULZ
“Nightfall at Lake Yamanaka"
for ryuteki, hichiriki, sho (2025) (World Premiere) *
As I began preparing for this work and attempting to write music for instruments that I am both unfamiliar with and don't fit my typical style of shifting, complex rhythms and time signatures, I noted that many Japanese composers took inspiration from the natural world: mountains, forests, rivers, or weather. I found one picture from Japan of the moon rising at nightfall over Lake Yamanaka that was so beautiful, I instantly knew this would be my inspiration. The moon reflected off the still waters and a few stars were beginning to break through the darkness.
I'd like to thank Tom Piercy for the opportunity to explore this new sound world.
FRANCES WHITE
“Night ceremony”
for ryuteki, hichiriki, u, electronic sound (2025) (World Premiere) *
JOHN COLTRANE “Ogunde” arranged for sho by Fabio Rambelli
LISH LINDSEY
"Endless Mountains" for ryuteki
THOMAS PIERCY
"Mienai Sakebigoe" (Invisible Scream) for hichiriki (2012)
"Mienai Sakebigoe" (Invisible Scream) was composed in the aftermath of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. The piece was inspired by the haunting image of a man standing on the shore, silently screaming for his lost loved ones to reappear.
FABIO RAMBELLI
“Ricercare” for ryuteki, hichiriki, and sho
* Commissioned by Thomas Piercy for “Tokyo to New York” and “Random Access Music” and made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.