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Community Outreach
APSI strives to provide opportunities to engage with many aspects of the cultures, ideas and arts of China, Japan and Korea through our own programs and those cosponsored with a variety of partners at Duke and in the community.
2008-2009 Events
APSI  presents an artist residency by
senior master Japanese biwa player
Yoko Hiraoka from Tuesday, October 21 - Thursday, October 23, 2008.
During the residency, there will be opportunities for members of the Duke and Triangle community to engage with the musician.
*Events are offered FREE of charge and are open to the general public.*
**************************** Music of the Japanese Biwa: Stories from the Tale of the Heike
Tues, Oct 21, 2008, 7:30-9:00pm
Richard White Lecture Hall
Duke University , East Campus
For driving directions visit:
http://fvd.aas.duke.edu/about/white_directions.php
The Biwa is an ancient lute-like string instrument from Japan which has been used for centuries to recount stories from medieval times with themes of love, hardship, epic battles and the evanescence of life.
Many of these stories are collected together in "The Tale of Heike" an account of the amours, battles and tragedies suffered by two warring clans, the Minamoto and Taira clans of 12th century Japan. The influence of these stories on Japanese culture can be seen even today, in contemporary animé themes.
This beautiful musical and academic event is illustrated with projected images of scenes from the Tale of the Heike. Ms. Hiraoka performs four of the classic biwa compositions. In this way she is bringing to life the Tale as it has been done for centuries, with singing voice and a dynamic and expressive biwa accompaniment.
Librettos of all the sung pieces are provided to audiences in both English and phonetic Japanese.
Biwa in the Garden - Japanese Biwa Recital
Thurs, Oct 23, 2008, 3:00-4:00pm
Durham-Toyama Sister Cities Japanese Tea Pavilion, Sarah P. Duke Gardens
Click here for directions: http://www.hr.duke.edu/dukegardens/directions.htm
Yoko Hiraoka performs, sings and tells the stories that have been passed down through Japanese history; stories of famous warriors, heroic deeds and passionate love. This
performance of traditional Japanese Biwa music will take place in the recently landscaped and re-opened Sister Cities Japanese Tea Pavilion in the Duke Gardens.
The performance will take place rain or shine. A limited number of chairs will be provided. Feel free to bring beach towels or or blankets for seating on the pine straw. Please bring an umbrella if it's raining. Maps are available at the Information Desk in the Doris Duke Center.
*Both events are offered FREE of charge and are open to the general public.*
Artist Bio
Yoko Hiraoka is a senior master performer of Biwa, Koto, Shamisen and Jiuta voice. She is a native of Kyoto, Japan and studied classical koto and shamisen music from an early age. She has been studying and performing Chikuzen 5-string Biwa for most of her professional life.
Her performance career originated in Japan and spans almost 30 years. She has been a member of Kyoto Hogaku Group (an orchestra of traditional Japanese instruments), Kyoto Sankyoku-kai and Shikandaza Ensemble in Japan. Her repertoire includes contemporary compositions and improvisations.
Since moving to the U.S in 1993, she has performed extensively at universities, festivals, concerts, lecture-recitals, and on television/radio and studio recordings. Her performances have included events at the Art Institute of Chicago, Portland Art Museum, Princeton, Yale, UCLA, and major music festivals throughout the USA such as the Lotus Festival and the Kansas and St. Louis Japan Festivals.
Ms. Hiraoka taught world music ensemble at the University of Colorado in 1997-98 and has been teaching students at Naropa University in Boulder since 1995.
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Sponsors
This residency is sponsored by the Duke University Asian/Pacific Studies Institute with support from the Department of History, the Department of Asian & Middle Eastern Studies, the Duke University Center for International Studies, the Durham-Toyama Sister Cities Program, and the Sarah P. Duke Gardens.
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Please contact karla.loveall@duke.edu or 919-668-2280 with questions about these events.
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