MARI KAWAMURA: “Ma”

Mentored by Aron Kallay

Ma is an ancient Japanese concept concerning space and time, which literally means “interval” or “gap” in Japanese.  It is a beautiful and philosophically nuanced word, which carries the implication of movements within silence or “empty” spaces, and has  served as an essential element in Japanese traditional arts. The program aims to uncover the inherent ma-like structures contained within music from outside of Japan’s sphere of influence. Although the formalization of ‘charged stillness’ as “ma” is uniquely Japanese, the purpose of this project is to demonstrate that this is a global phenomenon and is in fact quite widespread.

In a polarized world where differences are often the focal point, my program seeks to highlight similarities between seemingly contrasting compositions of different styles, as well as the commissioned pieces by Karen Tanaka. 

Katharina Rosenberger: Torsion
Toru Takemitsu: Rain Tree Sketch, Rain Tree Sketch II
Sasha Sound: Three Aspects of MA (World Premiere)
William Duckworth: a selection from The Time Curve Preludes
Michael Finnissy: Snowdrift
Iannis Xenakis: Evryali
Karen Tanaka: Rose Crystal (World Premiere, Piano Spheres Commission)

SEASON SUBSCRIPTION: HERE

This concert is made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts