Ohio Wesleyan to Showcase Music from Japan, India
Yumi Kurosawa
DELAWARE, Ohio – Ohio Wesleyan University’s Performing Arts Series will present a concert Oct. 5 where East meets West and old meets new as traditional Japanese koto and Indian tabla instrumentalists Yumi Kurosawa and Deep Singh blend their ancient traditions with 21st century electronica music.
The duo will perform at 8 p.m. Oct. 5 in Jemison Auditorium inside Sanborn Hall—home of Ohio Wesleyan’s Department of Music. The venue is located at 23 Elizabeth St., Delaware, and tickets for the performance are on sale now.
Both Kurosawa and Singh started playing music at age 3. Born and raised in Japan, Kurosawa began with the 13-string koto—a large, stringed zither played with picks—and added the 20-string koto at age 15. She is a two-time winner of the Japanese National Koto Competition.
Since arriving in New York City in 2002, Kurosawa has worked within the traditional Japanese and contemporary classical music genre, but also writes original compositions that blend her traditional training with elements of modern jazz and electronica. She made her Carnegie Hall debut in 2006, and her first album, “Beginning of a Journey,” was released in 2009. The New York Times has described her performances as “mesmerizing.” Learn more at www.yumikuro.com.
Born in London, England, Singh’s professional career as a tabla percussionist began at age 9. The tabla features two hand drums of different sizes and materials, capable of creating a wide variety of sound. Since childhood, Singh has performed at prestigious venues including The Royal Albert Hall in London and Carnegie Hall in New York City, where he now lives. After many years of merging Indian sounds with rock and pop, Singh is focusing on developing his own unique style of music. He is considered a master of blending music from East and West. Learn more at www.bellagaia.com/deep.html.
Tickets for this and each Ohio Wesleyan Performing Arts Series event are $20 for general admission and $5 for senior citizens and non-OWU students (with a valid school ID). Tickets are free for Ohio Wesleyan students and employees with a valid university ID. Tickets may be purchased online at www.ticketweb.com, by phone message at (740) 368-3629, or by email at paseries@owu.edu. Learn more about the series at pas.owu.edu.
Remaining events in Ohio Wesleyan’s 2013-2014 Performing Arts Series include:
8 p.m. Jan. 18, 2014 – Robert Post Comedy Theater: The One-Man Variety Show, featuring a performance that will “combine a quart of dry humor with three tablespoons of expert mime, versatile acting, and skilled juggling; add a keen sense of satire and the absurd; [and] blend in splendid timing and experience,” in Chappelear Drama Center, 45 Rowland Ave., Delaware. Learn more at www.robertpost.org. 3 p.m. March 23, 2014 – The Central Ohio Symphony, under the direction of Jaime Morales-Matos, presents a community celebration of peace that includes Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Ninth Symphony” featuring the Ohio Wesleyan University Choral Art Society and Capriccio Chorus, and Leonard Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms” featuring the Choral Art Society. The concert will be held in Gray Chapel inside University Hall, 61 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. Learn more at www.centralohiosymphony.org. 8 p.m. April 23, 2014 – Conundrum, a chamber musical ensemble featuring Mary Elizabeth Southworth, soprano; Danielle Hundley, flute; Marianne Breneman, clarinet; and Philip Amalong, piano, performs “audience-oriented new music played with passion, humor, and conviction,” in Jemison Auditorium inside Sanborn Hall, 23 Elizabeth St., Delaware. The Ohio Wesleyan performance will feature several original works created by OWU students from assistant music professor Jennifer Jolley’s composition studio. Learn more at www.conundrummusic.com.Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier small, private universities, with more than 90 undergraduate majors, sequences, and courses of study, and 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Located in Delaware, Ohio, just minutes north of Ohio’s capital and largest city, Columbus, the university combines a globally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities that translate classroom theory into real-world practice. OWU’s close-knit community of 1,850 students represents 41 states and 45 countries. Ohio Wesleyan was named to the 2013 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction, is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” and is included on the “best colleges” lists of U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Learn more at www.owu.edu.