The performance will be preceded at 7:00 pm by a pre-performance lecture, "Exploring the Music of East Asia," by Ralph Samuelson with demonstrations by the performers on their instruments.

Music From Japan's 40th anniversary will be commemorated with exciting cross-cultural collaborations between musicians from Japan and its neighboring countries, China and Korea.

Three internationally acclaimed traditional instrumentalists from Japan, Korea, and China will perform contemporary and classical repertoire on their respective instruments. A series of solo works will be followed by a group improvisation and the world premiere of Unkai (Sea of Clouds), written by MFJ-commissioned composer Ned Rothenberg especially for the occasion.

Mayumi Miyata will perform Japanese sho (a reedy sounding mouth organ traditionally used in gagaku, the ancient court music of Japan); Chinese-American Wu Man will perform pipa (Chinese lute); and Korean-American Jin Hi Kim will perform komungo (Korean zither).

Mayumi Miyata: Winds From Ikaruga (excerpt) (5 min., 7 sec.)

Wu Man: Tiny Desk Concert on NPR (14 min., 31 sec.)

Jin Hi Kim: Pale Blue Dot (6 min., 7 sec.)