Japanese taiko drummer Eitetsu Hayashi to perform during benefit for Cleveland School of the Arts, May 25, 2006
Participants in the Playhouse Square residency were young people from throughout the Cleveland area schools. (Photo courtesy of Ohio Art Council)
March 2006, Cleveland – Friends of Cleveland School of the Arts (FCSA) is honored to introduce Eitetsu Hayashi, the world’s only orchestral solo taiko artist, during Many Gifts: Some of Which are Hidden on Thursday, May 25, 2006 from 6:30 – 10 p.m. at Trinity Cathedral (E. 22nd & Euclid Avenue, Cleveland). The enchanting evening will feature a Cleveland School of the Arts production of a traditional Japanese fable, a variety of musical and dance performances, Pacific Rim delicacies, exquisite art exhibits, and more.
In 1984, Eitetsu played taiko, which literally means “fat drum,” when he made his Carnegie Hall debut with the American Symphony Orchestra, and since has performed worldwide.
Eitetsu and members of his group, “Fuun-no-kai,” are performing as part of a Cleveland-based residency produced by the Ohio Arts Council’s International Program, in partnership with Arts Midwest, the U.S./Japan Cultural Trade Network, U.S. Department of Education, the National Endowment for the Arts, and JASNO (Japan America Society of Northeast Ohio).
Since its inception in 1989, the International Program has been committed to bringing together individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds in a shared effort to develop understanding of each other’s cultures.
OAC has seen that value expressed in a variety of ways – from a single student gaining ability, self confidence, and maturity through performing taiko, to an entire community feeling the impact and consequence of the powerful, passionate expression of a master artist at work.
Eitetsu works with groups of students to teach taiko in a workshop setting. Faculty and staff at CSA have designed a series of inter-disciplinary units of study inspired by Eitetsu’s residency, educating students in subjects including Japanese language visual arts, and the history and cultural significance of taiko.
Many Gifts: Some of Which are Hidden will feature:
An original CSA student production of a traditional Japanese fable, which will incorporate student theatre, orchestra, jazz, dance, visual arts, vocal and creative writing, while blending the power and artistry of taiko master Eitetsu Hayashi
A variety of musical performances including a piece from the opera “Treemonisha” by Scott Joplin and Duke Ellington’s “Caravan,” dance numbers influenced by “Memoirs of a Geisha,” and other surprise collaborations accompanied by Eitetsu and the CSA student ensemble under his tutorial
Food stations featuring Pacific Rim delicacies from Cleveland’s finest restaurants
A student photography exhibition.
A silent auction featuring an art gallery that will contain work by CSA students
Individual tickets are $100, and corporate sponsor opportunities range from $2,500 to $20,000
Cleveland School of the Arts (CSA) is a visual and performing arts school within the Cleveland Municipal School District (CMSD) offering students a rigorous college preparatory education while providing training in creative and performing arts. Located in University Circle, the school serves 635 children in grades 6-12.
Friends of Cleveland School of the Arts is a nonprofit organization in cooperation with CMSD, supporting the mission of the CSA by creating an environment that empowers children with the opportunity to achieve excellence through an arts education.
For more information about tickets, donations, and corporate sponsorship, please contact Christine Bluso, Executive Director of Friends of Cleveland School of the Arts, at 216.421.7690 or christine@friendsofcsa.org.
Press contact: Diana Greenberg, 216.233.7033,DianaBethPR@aol.com