Currently resident in San Francisco and an affiliate of the Bay Area Improv Scene, Japanese-born musician, composer and multi-disciplinary performance artist Miya Masaoka first began experimenting with interfacing the 17-string Japanese koto with midi controllers back in the 1980s.
Since then she has developed an innovative approach to this traditional instrument. With the koto connected directly to her laptop, Masaoka records her playing live, processes the samples in real time, and then improvises over the processed sounds.
Her performance pieces have investigated the sound and movement of insects, as well as the physiological responses of plants and of the human brain and body. Masaoka has used these pieces to explore issues of race, gender and the interconnectedness of different species.
Aside from numerous collaborations
and recordings as a virtuoso koto player, Masaoka has also
found time to write several pieces for chamber orchestra alongside
a full-length ballet, as well as teaching Japanese American
Art and Aesthetics, music composition and jazz theory. She
is a founding member of the San Francisco Electronic Music
Festival and the official Koto player for Bang on a Can -
the famous NY based contemporary music concert ensemble.
DEAF @ St Audoen's Church Part
2
Artists: Wu Fei [China], Miya
Masaoka [Japan], Shenggy [China] & Daniel Jacobson ( Zoid
) [Ireland]
with Visual design by Tim Redfern
Date: Saturday October 27th
Venue: St Audoen’s Church
Address: Cornmarket, High Street,
Dublin 8 [Between Christchurch Cathedral and Thomas Street.]
Admission: 15 Euro
Time: 7.30 – 10.30pm
Tickets available from www.tickets.ie / City
Discs / Spin Dizzy
DEAF @ Uki Yo Restaurant (over 2 floors incl 12 live Karaoke Booths sets)
