SONG OF THE QUARRY FOR SHAKUHACHI

Special Performance - October 2, 2022

“Song of the Quarry is inspired by both the bucolic beauty of Manitoga and its central Quarry Pool. When presented with the opportunity to create music for this enchanting landscape, I was immediately drawn to the central Quarry Pool and its waterfall and envisioned an antiphonal call-and-response among multiple shakuhachi, as the Japanese bamboo flute is wonderfully emblematic of nature.” ~ James Nyoraku Schlefer

For Song of the Quarry, four shakuhachi players were positioned around the central pool to maximize the stone quarry’s natural acoustics. To honor Manitoga’s waterfall, each of the performers played an excerpt from a traditional shakuhachi piece called Takiochi, or Waterfall. Schlefer was accompanied by Thomas Ryuraku Hack, Adam Robinson, and Nora Noraku Suggs. Many of the sounds and melodies throughout the piece were evocative of traditional shakuhachi, while others were clearly contemporary and original – a harmonious blending of the classic and the experimental so characteristic of Wright’s Manitoga.

ABOUT JAMES NYORAKU SCHLEFER

Grand Master James Nyoraku Schlefer is a virtuoso performer of traditional and contemporary shakuhachi music, an esteemed teacher in the Kinko school, and a ground-breaking composer. Honored by Musical America International as one of their “30 Top Professionals and Influencers,” Nyoraku Sensei’s efforts promote and sustain traditional shakuhachi music through performances, lecture/demonstrations, residencies, and concert programming. His original compositions forge new ground with contemporary works for both Japanese and Western instruments and ensembles.

Schlefer first encountered the shakuhachi in 1979, while working towards a career as a flute player and pursuing an advanced degree in musicology. He established his own dojo in NYC in 1996, taught shakuhachi at Columbia University for 10 years, and teaches World Music classes at the City University of New York. Schlefer also lectures at colleges and universities throughout the United States; has performed at major venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, Tanglewood and BAM; and has toured extensively across the USA and in Japan, Indonesia, Brazil and many European countries. His composition portfolio includes multiple chamber and orchestral works combining Japanese and Western instruments as well as numerous pieces solely for traditional Japanese instruments. Schlefer is the Artistic Director of Kyo-Shin-An Arts, a contemporary music organization dedicated to commissioning and presenting music that integrates Japanese traditional instruments into Western classical music. nyoraku.com

ABOUT SHAKUHACHI

The shakuhachi is a Japanese bamboo flute that has been played for over 1200 years. It is the only instrument associated with Zen Buddhism and was played by priests of the Fuke sect as part of their Zen practice. During the Edo Period (1600-1868), shakuhachi-playing monks known as Komusō ("Priest of Nothingness") wandered throughout Japan, playing the shakuhachi in exchange for food or alms. As they passed from temple to temple, they would learn each temple’s distinct repertoire and pass them along. Known as honkyoku, this music was created anonymously, shared among the temples, and ultimately passed from teacher to student in a centuries-old tradition that continues to the present day.

THE 2022 ART & DESIGN HOST COMMITTEE

Lead Sponsors / David M. & Nanci H. McAlpin, The Marilyn & James Simons Charitable Foundation; Sponsors: Gary & Laura Maurer, Tom Krizmanic; Supporters: Stephen & Linda Breskin, Joe Chapman, Allison Cross & Henry Nye, David Diamond & Karen Zukowski, Lyn & John Fischbach, Frederic C. Rich, William Roos & Scott Olsen

And with support from Manitoga’s Leadership Circle / William Burback & Peter Hofmann, Vernon Evenson & Paul Cassidy, Cheryl & Jack Lenhart, Matthew Marks & Jack Bankowsky, Melissa Meyers & Wilbur Foster, PCLB Foundation, Wild Woods Foundation

This performance was made possible, in part, through support from the Sara Little Turnbull Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts, and the 2022 Art & Design Host Committee.