Afternoon Presentation
Registration 2:45pm 
Lecture 3:00pm
Close 4:00pm

One of Japan’s most accomplished flutists, Kohei Nishikawa has researched extensively the nose flutes of different places including Hawaii, Myanmar, Malaysia and Taiwan. During the presentation, he will outline some of his research, as well as illuminate on some of his life experiences in Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, award-winning Japanese composer, Koji Nakano will discuss how hybrid musical elements are incorporated in his work, with careful attention paid to his own heritage. He will also discuss how new and creative collaborations among various artistic fields promote both a wider appreciation and awareness of today’s dynamic contemporary music — one that is enriched by Asian musical cultures and philosophy.

Kohei Nishikawa is one of Japan’s most accomplished and versatile flute players, playing the Western flute and traditional Japanese transverse flutes. He studied with Ririko Hayashi at the Toko Gakuen Conservatory of Music. Mr. Nishikawa was principal flute at the Osaka Philharmonic, leaving after three seasons to pursue a career in the performance of traditional Japanese bamboo flutes (shinobue and nohkan). He joined Pro Musica Nipponia in 1980, performing traditional and contemporary repertoires, and has appeared with the New York Philharmonic, Gewandhaus in Helsinki and many Japanese orchestras. Mr. Nishikawa established the Nishikawa Ensemble that presents programs encompassing Asian and Western music, from traditional to contemporary. He has taught at various universities in Tokyo, and in 2011, began research on the nose flutes of Hawaii, Myanmar and Malaysia. In 2015, received the Asian Cultural Council fund for the research of nose flutes in Taiwan. 

Award-winning composer Koji Nakano’s compositions reflect the relationship between beauty, form, and imperfection through the formality of music. He is recognized as one of the major voices among Asian composers of his generation. He studied with Dutch composer Louis Andriessen in Amsterdam and at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague. In 2008, Dr. Nakano became the first composer to receive the S&R Washington Award Grand Prize. He is Head of International Affairs for the Faculty of Music and Performing Arts at Burapha University in Thailand, where he teaches composition. As a co-founder of the Asian Young Musicians’ Connection (AYMC), Dr. Nakano commissions emerging composers to create music performed by worldwide professional musicians at AYMC’s annual concerts, lectures, and workshops. Dr. Nakano obtained his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in composition from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, and his Ph.D. from the University of California at San Diego.

Co-presented with