Meridian presents a performance by koto trio Lantana featuring Shoko Hikage, Kanoko Nishi, and Noriko Tsuboi. Pieces will include a traditional koto duo and new compositions by Hyo-shin Na and Tadao Sawai. Koto ensemble Lantana is an exciting new performance group with a fresh approach to the Japanese koto and sangen (three-string). All of the members are associated with the Sawai Koto Institute in Tokyo. Founded in 1979 by Tadao Sawai and Kazue Sawai, this organization is recognized for its unique artistry and emphasis placed on contemporary music for the koto. Each member has strong training in traditional koto methods, unique experiences in the US, Japan and Thailand performing solo, with ensembles and in collaborations with various musicians and artists.

"Lantana is a flower that, as it blooms changes colors. It can range from purple to orange to white and so on, often changing a rainbow of times before the blossoms wilt. I like to think of our music as being this limitless. Just like the lantana can change colors, so can we change our styles and sounds. We play music with no boundaries, drawing from all kinds of music; including but not limited to jazz, classical, and traditional Japanese." - Shoko Hikage

Shoko Hikage began playing koto at the age of three. Hikage studied koto under Chizuga Kimura, the 2nd and 3rd IEMOTO Seiga Adachi (hereditary head master of the Ikuta-ryu Sokyoku Seigen Kai). In 1988, Hikage graduated from Takasaki College with a major in koto music, and she was accepted as a special research student in Sawai Sokyoku-In (Sawai Koto Academy) under Tadao and Kazue Sawai where she subsequently received her master's certificate. In 1992, she moved to Honolulu, Hawaii to teach koto at the Sawai Kotot Kai Hawai and the University of Hawaii koto class. In 1997, she moved to San Francisco, where she continues her pursuits in improvisational dance and music. In 2010 she was a featured soloist for the performance of "Voice of Phoenix" by Neil Mckay with the Stanford Symphony Orchestra and also performed the world premiere of "Song of One Lost in the Fog" by Hyo-shni Na with Earplay new chamber music.

Kanoko Nishi is a performer currently based in SF Bay Area, CA. Although her primary training is in classical piano performance, her interest since attending Mills College in Oakland from 2002-2006 for BA in musical performance program has widened from avant-garde music, free-improvisation, to traditional Japanese music on her second instrument, koto. She has been exploring, both on the piano and koto, various extended techniques, in addition to more traditional techniques, in order to widen the range of vocabularies on each instrument for freer expressions in more varieties of musical genres. She has studied with and has been inspired primarily by improvisers Fred Frith, Joelle Leandre and koto master, Kazue Sawai.

Noriko Tsuboi began studying koto at age eight, concentrating on traditional Japanese music. She was awarded with the Lecturer's certificate by the Sawai Academy of Music in 1987, and entered this academy as a Special Research Student. She also completed NHK (The National Television Broadcasting Network) Traditional Music Program and Two-year Intensive Seminar in Sawai Academy of Music while performing in many concerts, recordings, and participating in tours abroad. In 1992, Noriko was invited to the University of California, San Diego as a koto instructor and went to the United States. She also directed the student koto ensemble and held concerts in California area. In addition to teaching music classes, Noriko has held solo recitals and concerts and collaborated with various fields of musicians. Since 2001, Noriko has resided in Bangkok, pursuing possibilities of unlimited musical activities in Japan, the United States, and Asian countries.

Read a review of the performance here.

See photos from the concert here.

See a video of the performance of Koto Music (2009) by Hyo-Shin Na performed by Lantana here.

Night Procession of the Hundred Demons (2010) composed by Hyo-Shin Na
17 bass koto by Shoko Hikage