Kaoru Watanabe went from being culturally "American," playing classical music as a child in St. Louis and studying jazz flute and saxophone at the Manhattan School of Music, to being a member of the globetrotting Japanese taiko drumming ensemble Kodo and becoming a leading specialist in the bamboo shinobue flute. He now lives back in New York, creating his own genre of music that reflects the entirety of his musical and cultural experiences and collaborating with artists like pianist Jason Moran, filmmaker Wes Anderson and Yo-Yo Ma and the Silkroad Ensemble.
For his talk at the Residential College, Watanabe will address the unending series of adaptations he's dealt with through this journey and reflect on how it has affected his art.
Watanabe also performs at Kerrytown Concert House on Tuesday, 11/14 at 8pm.
If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation to participate in this event, please contact Center for World Performance Studies, at 734-936-2777, at least one week in advance of this event. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the University to arrange.
