Blog Posts

Hida-San

Composer:Unknown - TraditionalArrangement:Aki TakahashiPremiere Performance:November 13, 2003 - Brigantine Room Harbourfront Centre Mt. Hida is a beautiful, tall, rocky mountain especially scenic in autumn. During the annual harvest festival, taiko is always a main attraction. The intoxicating rhythms of the taiko are enough to cause even...

King Worm

Date Composed:2003Composer:Patrick GrahamArrangement:Patrick Graham and Kiyoshi NagataPremiere Performance:November 13, 2003 - Harbourfront Centre Irish drumming’s well known diplomat is a frame drum known as the bodhran. Generally played with a short beater, and using an unusual wrist technique, the modern style of bodhran playing, uses pitch...

Hiru to Yoru

Date Composed:2015Composer:Kiyoshi NagataPremiere Performance:November 28, 2015 - Fleck Dance Theatre “Day and Night” (Hiru to Yoru in Japanese) is an expression often used to refer to two things that in stark contrast to one another. In this case, the two drummers on stage beat the taiko with...

Illuminate

Date Composed: 2019 Composer: Tony Nguyen Premiere Performance: Sunday, March 3, 2019 Marvelous displays of fireworks illuminate the sky, combining rambunctious sounds witha dazzling performance to bring people together one last time. ...

Rise

Date Composed: 2019 Composer: Tony Nguyen Premiere Performance: Sunday, March 3, 2019 The intense light from th sun as it breaks the horizon calls us to start the day.  A solo featuring Kiyoshi Nagata represents the powerful sunlight that fills us with life and energy. ...

Kitsunetsuki

Date Composed:2013Composer:Tony NguyenPremiere Performance:November 22, 2013 - Enwave TheatreRecording Title:Hymus Road CD Kitsunetsuki literally means the state of being possessed by a fox. In ancient Japan, it was believed that those into whom the fox spirit entered (always young woman) would display strange and unusual behaviour....

Formations

Date Composed: 2017 Composer: Tony Nguyen Premiere Performance: April 7, 2017 - Aki Studio Theatre ...

LIVE!

Date Composed:2014Composer:Tony NguyenPremiere Performance:October 14, 2014 - Fleck Dance Theatre, Toronto The word ‘live’ just like this piece, has two different pronunciations and meanings: One example is “to live in the moment”, as when the performers on stage are sharing their joyous spirit with the audience....

Uchouten

Date Composed:2007Composer:Kiyoshi NagataArrangement:Kiyoshi NagataPremiere Performance:December 1, 2007 - Ryerson TheatreRecording Title:Tsuzure CD In Japan, the taiko has always been played in times of celebration and joy, especially during ‘matsuri’ or festival time. This song attempts to convey the state of ecstasy and rapture (UCHOUTEN) one feels...