MOONRISE Brings Japanese Artists to New York
Ryota Kikuchi (piano) and MAOSHO (piano, trumpet, and Tsugaru shamisen) to perform at Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center on September 19, 2026
MOONRISE Japan Artists – Ryota Kikuchi: Piano
Saturday, September 19 at 1:30 p.m.
MOONRISE Japan Artists – MAOSHO: Jazz & Shamisen
Saturday, September 19 at 7:00 p.m.
Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center – 129 W. 67th Street
Admission: $35 Prime | $25 General | $20 Seniors & Students
Disclosure: The author is providing public relations services for MOON and Mar Creation in support of the MOONRISE concert series and received compensation for this work. The event information presented here is based on materials provided by the organizers.
MOONRISE, an international artist development initiative dedicated to introducing Japanese artists to audiences in the United States and beyond, will present two performances at Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center on Saturday, September 19, 2026. The concerts will feature the innovative musical duo MAOSHO and acclaimed pianist Ryota Kikuchi, bringing contemporary and traditional Japanese artistry to one of New York City’s premier concert venues.
Presented by Moon and Mar Creation, the performances reflect MOONRISE’s ongoing commitment to creating opportunities for Japanese artists to engage with international audiences through live performance, cultural exchange, and artistic collaboration.
“MOONRISE exists to help Japanese artists reach the world—not simply by performing overseas, but by building meaningful cultural connections through music,” says Akie Osawa, producer of MOON. “We believe every performance is an opportunity to share Japan’s creativity, inspire dialogue, and create lasting relationships between artists and audiences.”
MOONRISE Japan Artists –Ryota Kikuchi: Piano
A pianist, composer, arranger, and YouTube creator, Ryota Kikuchi began playing the piano at the age of four. While still a student at Nihon University’s College of Art and Graduate School, Kikuchi composed music for various artists, and since he has worked on numerous TV programs, film scores, as well as anime and video game music. He gained attention for composing the music for the web commercial of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In November 2024, he became the first Japanese soloist to successfully perform all four of Gershwin’s concerto works in a single evening. His YouTube channel has more than 850,000 subscribers, and the total number of views has exceeded 400 million. Kikuchi’s unique style, built on the solid technical foundation cultivated through classical music, combined with outstanding improvisational and arrangement skills, allows him to perform across various genres, earning him high praise as a one-of-a-kind pianist. Learn more at his website.
“I’ve been fortunate to connect with people around the world through YouTube, and I’m excited to finally meet many of those listeners in person through live performance,” says Kikuchi. “I hope this concert will be a special opportunity to share music together and create unforgettable memories.”
PROGRAM
George Gershwin – “Rhapsody in Blue”
Ryuichi Sakamoto – “Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence”
Akira Ikufube – “Bon Odori”
Movie Music Medley
To purchase, please visit Kaufman Music Center’s website. As a special benefit, JapanCulture•NYC members will receive a promotional code for discounted tickets by email. If you'd like to learn more about membership, please visit our Membership page.
MOONRISE Japan Artists – MAOSHO: Jazz & Shamisen
Mao Sone is a jazz artist who masterfully performs on both piano and trumpet. Sho Asano is one of Japan’s leading shamisen performers and folk singers.
Traditional Japanese music and jazz come together in a bold and unique collaboration with MAOSHO. The powerful sound of Tsugaru shamisen, the spirit of Japanese folk song, and the freedom of jazz improvisation create an energetic and emotional performance. The duo received a standing ovation in 2025, when they first performed a series of concerts in New York City.
“Our music is a conversation between tradition and innovation,” says MAOSHO. “We hope audiences in New York will experience not only the sound of Japan, but also the universal joy of creating something new together.”
Joining MAOSHO on the Merkin Hall stage will be guest artist Keita Ogawa, one of the most versatile and sought-after percussionists in New York City.
PROGRAM
Mao Sone – “Sakura Sakura Fantasy”
Mao Sone – “HAYASHI”
Richard Rodgers – “My Favorite Things” (arr. Sho Asano)
Japanese Folk Song – “Yagibushi” (arr. Mao Sone)
To purchase tickets, please visit Kaufman Music Center’s website. As a special benefit, JapanCulture•NYC members will receive a promotional code for discounted tickets by email. If you'd like to learn more about membership, please visit our Membership page.
About Mao Sone
A native of Chiba Prefecture, Mao Sone was born into a musical family: His paternal grandmother was a Shamisen player, and his maternal grandmother was a former jazz cafe owner. After studying classical piano from a young age, Sone added trumpet at age eight. He made his professional debut in his senior year of high school, performing alongside Norio Maeda and Takeshi Inomata. He attended Berklee College of Music on a full-tuition scholarship, and after graduating at the top of his class in 2014, he became a member of the inaugural class of the Berklee Global Jazz Institute’s master’s program, completing his degree with the highest honors (Summa Cum Laude) in 2016.
Mao Sone is a rare and versatile multi-instrumentalist who has garnered international acclaim as a "Jazz Dual-Threat"—a virtuoso on both the trumpet and the piano. An accomplished performer, composer, and producer, he has established a unique presence in the global music scene through his innovative blend of tradition and modernity. Visit Sone’s website to learn more.
About Sho Asano
Influenced by his grandfather, Sho Asano began learning wadaiko, traditional Japanese drums, at age three and the Tsugaru shamisen at age five. Throughout his childhood, he regularly won shamisen competitions, breaking records as the youngest winner in various categories. In 2004, at the age of 14, Asano became the youngest winner of the highest tier of the Tsugaru-jamisen National Competition (now known as the Tsugaru-jamison World Competition). He released his debut album, Shofu, at age 17 and has performed extensively overseas, including a concert at the Kennedy Center.
Incorporating elements of Japanese folk songs, classical music, rock, jazz, pop, and flamenco, Asano’s performance style transcends genres. He has worked with a wide range of artists, collaborating with world-class musicians such as jazz legend Will Lee (bass), rising jazz star Marcus Gilmore (drums), and two-time Grammy Award winner Richard Stoltzman (clarinet). Hear Asano’s music on his YouTube channel.
About Keita Ogawa
New York-based drummer and percussionist Keita Ogawa is a prodigious talent, playing practically any percussion instrument with fluency and musicality. The three-time Grammy winner studied at Berklee College of Music, and he spent three months in Rio de Janeiro, immersing himself in learning Brazilian percussion from some of the country’s most respected musicians. His passion for crossing musical borders and cultures shows in his impressive list of collaborators since moving to the U.S.: Yo-Yo Ma, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra, and Charlie Hunter, Snarky Puppy, and Bokanté, among many others.
New York City is the final stop of a series of events for the MOONRISE project. Together, the performances of MAOSHO and Ryota Kikuchi showcase the diversity and vitality of contemporary Japanese music, offering New York audiences an opportunity to experience distinctive artistic voices that bridge tradition, innovation, and global cultural dialogue.
About Merkin Hall
Located within Kaufman Music Center on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Merkin Hall is one of New York City’s leading venues for classical, contemporary, jazz, and cross-cultural performance. Known for its exceptional acoustics and intimate setting, the hall has presented internationally acclaimed artists and emerging voices from around the world, serving as a vibrant home for musical innovation and artistic excellence.
About MOON
Moon, Inc. specializes in concert production and artist management, organizing numerous performances annually. The company is led by representative director and producer Akie Osawa, who has a proven track record in discovering and nurturing young talent, such as violinists Ai Okumura and Rina Matsuda, pianist Aya Nagatomi, and bandoneon player Kazuma Miura. Osawa established Moon in 2020 and continues to support artists’ global development and cross-cultural collaborations with the focus of presenting Japanese performers on the world stage. Learn more at Moon’s website.
About MOONRISE
Launched by Moon in 2025, MOONRISE is an international artist development and cultural exchange initiative that supports Japanese artists in expanding their presence beyond Japan through performances, audience engagement, and artistic opportunities abroad. As part of Moon’s “Global Expansion Project for Performing Artists,” MOONRISE is centered around music, collaborating across diverse fields such as food, traditional culture, fashion, film, and technology, showcasing the beauty and talent of Japan through the collective strength of “All Japan.” The full vision of MOONRISE is not “from Japan to the world,” but “making Japan shine within the world.” By fostering connections between artists and international audiences, MOONRISE seeks to deepen cultural understanding and create new pathways for creative exchange.
About Mar Creation
Established in 2003, Mar Creation, Inc is a full-service resource for creative needs ranging from video and music production, graphic and web design, event planning and booking, PR, artist management, and film distribution. The organization has been involved with and supports various charitable events for AIDS, Japan earthquake/tsunami relief, and peace-making projects.
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Gardens for Peace at BBG
As part of the North American Japanese Garden Association’s annual Gardens for Peace project, which brings communities together in Japanese gardens to promote peace, Brooklyn Botanic Garden is presenting free public programming in and around the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden.
Gardens for Peace
Saturday, September 6, 2025 | 11:00 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.
Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden at Brooklyn Botanic Garden – 990 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn
Free with Garden Admission: $24.22 | $17.52 Seniors and Students | Free for Children under 12
As part of the North American Japanese Garden Association’s annual Gardens for Peace project, which brings communities together in Japanese gardens to promote peace, Brooklyn Botanic Garden is presenting free public programming in and around the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden.
Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden at Brooklyn Botanic Garden | Photo from bbg.org
Related Activities
Japanese Garden Mini Tours
Tours run every fifteen minutes between 11:00 a.m. and noon
Meet at Duck Landing, next to Viewing Pavilion.
Enjoy a peaceful stroll through one of BBG’s best-known specialty gardens. These 15-minute tours highlight the Japanese garden elements in this historic garden designed by Takeo Shiota in 1914.
Drop-in Japanese Woodblock Printing
From noon until 2:00 p.m. at the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden Viewing Pavilion
Try your hand at woodblock printing with Sato Yamamoto, a Japanese artist inspired by culture and diversity. Choose from patterns by Sato or the Gardens for Peace pattern, designed by Toshiko Tanaka, an A-bomb survivor and advocate for world peace.
Gardens for Peace pattern, designed by Toshiko Tanaka, an A-bomb survivor and advocate for world peace
Shamisen Variation
At noon at the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden Viewing Pavilion
Enjoy a relaxing traditional Japanese shamisen variation.
Koto Performance
1:00 p.m. at the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden Viewing Pavilion
Stroll the Japanese Garden paths as you listen to a traditional style koto performance.
Bonsai Mini Drop-In Tours
1:00 p.m. until 2:30 p.m. at the C.V. Starr Bonsai Museum
Drop by to talk with trained Garden Guides about BBG’s bonsai collection, view season standouts, and ask questions. Get hands-on at the special interactive station featuring tools, pots, and trees from BBG’s Education collection.
Details
Gardens for Peace is free with admission to Brooklyn Botanic Garden. No registration is necessary to join the activities. To purchase tickets, please visit BBG’s website. Tours can be canceled due to inclement weather, so check BBG’s website for updates.
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Celebrating the Music of James Nyoraku Schlefer
Kammerraku Encore: music for shakuhachi, koto, shamisen, and string quartet at Tenri Cultural Institute in NYC
Kammerraku Encore
Saturday, March 22 at 7:30 p.m.
Tenri Cultural Institute – 43A W. 13th Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues)
Admission: $25 in Advance | $30 at the Door
Kyo-Shin-An Arts and Arts at TCI present Kammerraku Encore, KSA's first celebration of the music of shakuhachi Grand Master James Nyoraku Schlefer.
This program of audience favorites features the always extraordinary Arianna Quartet and the world premiere of Schlefer’s delightfully irreverent Bamboo Dances for shakuhachi and string quartet. To purchase tickets, please visit Schlefer’s website.
Performers
Sumie Kaneko – Shamisen and voice
Yoko Reikano Kimura – Koto and voice
James Nyoraku Schlefer – Shakuhachi
Arianna String Quartet
John McGrosso and Jane Price, violins; Joanna Mendoza, viola; Kurt Baldwin, cello
PROGRAM
Moon through the Pines by James Nyoraku Schlefer
koto, shamisen, shakuhachiBamboo Dances by James Nyoraku Schlefer – World Premiere
shakuhachi and string quartet
Moveoverture
Jubislidy (aka Slickback)
Valse Macabre
Chacachacarera
Bogakuraku
Jiggy Gigue
Galoopy
Interludy
RacherachenitsaTommy – a musical fantasy based on a true story by James Nyoraku Schlefer
shakuhachi, koto, shamisen and string quartet
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Duo YUMENO to Pay Tribute to Late Japanese Composer
Music of Changes: Tribute to Toshi Ichiyanagi
Saturday, January 27 from 7:30 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.
Tenri Cultural Institute – 43A W. 13th Street (between5th and 6th Avenues)
Admission: $30
Duo YUMENO—Yoko Reikano Kimura on koto and shamisen and Hikaru Tamaki on cello—and special guest pianist Vicky Chow will pay homage to the legendary composer Toshi Ichiyanagi. Ichiyanagi, who passed away in 2022, was a protégé of John Cage during the 1960s and had a profound influence on the post-war Japanese music landscape.
Presented by Duo YUMENO, the program will explore Ichiyanagi’s music, written for both traditional Japanese and Western instruments, and will celebrate his six-decade-long career. Highlights include Paraphrase for shamisen and cello (2019), which was commissioned by the duo; Time Sequence (1976), a dazzling piano solo in the minimalist style; and Linked Poems of Autumn (1990), Ichiyanagi’s tribute to the Japanese koto-song tradition that features texts by the haiku poet Matsuo Bashō. It’s sure to be an evening of provocative and brilliant contemporary music at Tenri Cultural Institute.
To purchase tickets, please visit Eventbrite.com.
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Four Seasons in New York with Yoko Reikano Kimura
Four Seasons in New York: Gems of Japanese Music—Vol.28
Saturday, August 5 at 4:00 p.m.
Center for Remembering and Sharing (CRS) – 123 4th Avenue (between 12th and 13th Streets)
Admission: $30
Four Seasons in New York: Gems of Japanese Music continues with a summer installment. The event will take place in the award-winning White Room.
About the Event
Acclaimed vocalist and koto and shamisen player Yoko Reikano Kimura and CRS began this concert series in the fall of 2015. As a Japanese instrumentalist, she hopes to introduce the brilliance of traditional Japanese music, which is still being passed on to future generations after many centuries. Since the first concert, Kimura has introduced more than 50 works from the classical repertoire. To see summaries of past performances, please visit Kimura’s website.
On Saturday, Kimura invites visual artist Hiroko Ohno as her special guest. Ohno’s work Galaxy: Dedicated to Endeavor will be exhibited especially for this concert.
Program
Performer: Yoko Reikano Kimura (koto, shamisen, voice)
Special guest: Hiroko Ohno (visual artist)
“Sarahi” – Composed by Kitazawa Koto; arranged by Fukakusa Kengyo
“Niijio” (“New Wave”) – Composed by Kin’ichi Nakanoshima
And more
Seating is limited, so please RSVP in advance. To make a reservation, email info@yokoreikanokimura.com and include your name and the number of tickets you would like to purchase.
Galaxy: Dedicated to Endeavor by Hiroko Ohno
About Yoko Reikano Kimura
Yoko Reikano Kimura has concertized in about 20 countries and is based in New York and Japan. The New York Times described her playing and singing as “superb.”
Her awards include the First Prize at the prestigious 10th Kenjun Memorial National Koto Competition, the First Prize at the 4th Great Wall International Music Competition, and a scholarship from the Agency of Cultural Affairs of Japan. Following her studies at the Tokyo University of the Arts, she studied at Institute of Traditional Japanese Music, an affiliate of Senzoku Gakuen College of Music in Japan, where she was a faculty member until 2010. Her teachers include Kono Kameyama, Akiko Nishigata, and Senko Yamabiko, a Living National Treasure.
As a koto soloist, Kimura has performed Daron Hagen’s Koto Concerto: Genji with the Wintergreen Music Festival Orchestra, conducted by Mei-Ann Chen. As a shamisen soloist, she performed Kin’ichi Nakanoshima’s Shamisen Concerto at the National Olympic Memorial Youth Center.
Her performances have been a part of renowned opera and theater works such as Michi Wiancko’s Murasaki’s Moon, Piestro Mascagni’s Iris by American Symphony Orchestra, Yokoshi Yasuko’s Bell, Basil Twist’s Dogugaeshi, and Heiner Goebbels’ Hashirigaki.
Kimura is the co-founder of Duo YUMENO with cellist Hikaru Tamaki. The duo received the Kyoto Aoyama Barock Saal Award in 2015 and were featured at Chamber Music America’s 2016 National Conference. The duo held its tenth anniversary recital at Carnegie Hall in 2019. For more information, please visit her website.
About CRS
CRS is a healing center established by president and founder Yasuko Kasaki and director and co-founder Christopher Pelham. The healing is based on A Course in Miracles (ACIM). CRS is also an event space and art center, offering support to those who bear witness to the truth, which is something that everyone is capable of doing and sharing. CRS is a safe space where you can know yourself, be yourself, and express yourself honestly without being judged. To learn more, please visit CRS’s website.
Masayo Ishigure: Koto, Bass Koto, and Shamisen
Thursday, April 6 at 7:30 p.m.
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall – 57th Street and 7th Avenue
Admission: $40 to $50
Masayo Ishigure will perform a koto and shamisen recital to commemorate the 30th anniversary of her professional career in the United States. This program offers a glimpse into the history of Japanese music and can be enjoyed by a wide range of audiences.
Performers
Masayo Ishigure: Koto, Bass Koto, and Shamisen
Zac Zinger: Shakuhachi
Nathan Koci: Piano
Noriko Tsuboi: Koto and Bass Koto
Miyabi Koto and Shamisen Ensemble
Program
Tadao Sawai – "Sakura Sakura"
Tadao Sawai – "Ginga" ("Galaxy")
Zac Zinger – Untitled
Hikaru Sawai – "Gin-yu-ka" ("Minstrel Song")
Hideaki Matsumoto – "Chizuru / Whereabouts of the Wind"
Tadao Sawai – "Flying like a Bird"
To purchase tickets, please visit Carnegie Hall’s website.
Masayo Ishigure
About Masayo Ishigure
Masayo Ishigure began playing koto and jiuta shamisen at the age of five in Gifu Prefecture and later studied under Tadao and Kazue Sawai. In 1986 she became a special research student at Sawai Koto Institute. She moved to the U.S. in 1992 to teach koto and shamisen classes at Wesleyan University in Connecticut.
In 2005 she was invited to play the koto on the soundtrack of the Academy Award-winning film Memoirs of a Geisha with music by John Williams, Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, and others. Newsweek nominated Ishigure in the magazine’s 2007 issue of 100 Japanese People the World Respects. Late prime minister Shinzo Abe recognized her as one of five Japanese women active in New York. Ishigure taught koto classes at Columbia University from 2010 through 2021, and she gives private lessons in New York City.
About the Miyabi Koto and Shamisen Ensemble
Classical and contemporary Japanese koto and shamisen ensemble “MIYABI” was founded in 1996 in New York City as a branch of the Sawai Koto Academy of Japan. Led by Ishigure, repertoire ranges from classical to contemporary koto music. The founder of Sawai Koto Academy, Tadao Sawai, is known as one of the greatest players and composers of koto music in the 20th century.
The ensemble dedicates itself to playing Tadao Sawai‘s koto music. It has played many concerts in the New York Metropolitan area, the eastern United States, Hawaii, Australia, South America, and Japan.
Japan Village’s annual Summer Festival is a free Japanese event that brings together nearly 8,000 attendees for a day of food, games, and cultural performances.