2005 Europe (1/3)

Kitanodai Gagaku Orchestra had the first oversea performance in Australia, 1997, followed by the concerts in USA (New York and Massachusetts) in 1998 and India in 2003, in order to introduce Japanese culture through Gagaku.
The year 2005 was designated as "People-to-People Exchange Year" between European Union and Japan, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Japan planned to promote a series of events to commemorate the year. Kitanodai Gagaku Orchestra was able to participate in this exchange program through Gagaku with a grant from the Japan Foundation. As a result, the Orchestra could have the first performance in Europe under the sponsorship or co-sponsorship of Japanese diplomatic establishments abroad.
From Nov. 17 to 25, we had a total of six concerts in five countries: France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany. Those concerts brought us in touch with the people, the goal of the year. We cherish these precious encounters and would like to expand them into a broader and deeper cultural exchange. We wish to express our deepest gratitude to everyone involved in realizing the tour.
November 17-18, 2005
  Paris, France
Sponsor: Embassy of Japan in France
Place: Japan Information & Culture Center - Embassy of Japan in France
Seating capacity: 64   Attendance: 120

The information & Culture Center is located in a traditional building which is right next to the Arc de triomphe de l'Etoile. This building was built in the 19th century at the same time as the Arc de triomphe was constructed.
The inside of the concert hall was beautifully decorated in neoclassical style. Because of the seating capacity, the concerts were held for two days.
PROGRAM:
1.Introduction  2.Kangen (Netori/ Etenraku/ Bairo) 3.Bugaku (Karyobin/ Urayasu-no-mai)


Voices from the audience:
"I felt indefinable calmness and healing." "The Gagaku music & dance in a French chamber created a marvelous aura of harmony." "Limited space of a room emphasized their beauty." "I was fascinated by the contrast between gorgeous clothes and the discreet dance." "In dancers' motions, eyes and hand moves, I felt infinite Universe. I believe that the complete exhalation of one's breath is very important when dancing, and I saw that in today's dance. Artists' mission is to make deep impression on the audience. Performers of this concert fully accomplished their mission." "Explanation of Gagaku in French was very concise and understandable."
November 17, 2005  Workshop
Place: Institute National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales (INALCO)

The professor at INALCO who teaches Gagaku asked us, through the Embassy of Japan in Paris, to hold a workshop to introduce Gagaku for primarily students who are studying Japanese language.
However, other students also joined and eventually more than 100 students came to the workshop. The workshop lasted for one hour. Two wind instruments such as Ryuteki and Hichiriki were introduced.
Many questions were raised by students. For example: How long does it take to learn the instruments? How much are the cost of the instruments? What was the motivation to learn Gagaku?


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