MATA Presents at Carnegie Hill Concerts: "in place of the blade"

MATA Presents at Carnegie Hill Concerts in partnership with Kyo-SanAn Arts: Ayane Sakaguch (Composer/Shamisen) Kodak Quartet ++ Juliet Schle

Join us for a transcendent evening as MATA partners with Kyo-Shin-An Arts and Carnegie Hill Concerts to present the New York Premiere of Amane Sakaguchi’s evocative new work.

This performance marks a profound evolution for Sakaguchi, who reimagines a pivotal episode from The Tale of the Heike—a 13th-century Japanese epic. Moving from the traditional framework of Nagauta (vocal music accompanied by shamisen) into the language of Western classical music, "in place of the blade" explores the harrowing tension between a warrior’s duty and his humanity.

Event Details

• Date: Tuesday, April 28
• Time: 7:30 PM (Q&A to follow the program)
• Venue: Carnegie Hill Concerts at the Church of Advent Hope
• Address: 111 E 87th St, New York, NY 10128
• Tickets: Pay-What-You-Wish ($30 Suggested Donation)

The Program

A journey through history and sound, featuring:

• Amane Sakaguchi: 須磨の浦 Suma-no-Ura (2019) for shamisen and voice
• Amane Sakaguchi: "in place of the blade" (2026) for soprano and string quartet
• Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 7 in F-sharp minor, Op. 108

Featured Artists

• Kodak Quartet (Edgar Donati, Martin Noh, Daniel Spink, Blake Kitayama)
• Juliet Schlefer (Soprano)
• Yoko Reikano Kimura (Voice)
• Amane Sakaguchi (Shamisen)

About "in place of the blade"

The work tells the story of the seasoned warrior Naozane and the young aristocrat Atsumori during the Battle of Ichi-no-Tani in 1184. The title "in place of the blade" refers to the quiet revelation that where Naozane expected to find a weapon on his fallen opponent, he instead discovered a flute.

The music opens with tactile imagery of waves crashing at the shore, reflecting the "ebb and flow of emotion" as Naozane grapples with the harsh reality of the Samurai’s existence—a destiny often detached from personal feeling. Through shimmering harmonic textures and soaring melodies, Sakaguchi invites the audience to witness a transformation from violence to grace in this intimate acoustic setting.

#TomorrowsMusicToday