Art of Wadaiko: The Heartbeat of Japan

Despite the popularity of taiko throughout the United States, American practitioners and the general public have had few opportunities to experience the art of Eitetsu Hayashi. He will perform solo with his signature O-daiko (giant taiko) and with his ensemble. Taiko drums crafted by the Asano family (a tradition more than 400 years old) are shipped from Japan for the concert. Hayashi will also be joined on stage by Bay Area special guests: pianist and Professor Dee Spencer, for an improvised rendition of Gershwin’s 1930s classic hit I Got Rhythm, and Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts classical music students, who will perform a section of Hi-Ten-Yu, a concerto for Japanese drum and orchestra.

Having made his solo U.S. debut with the American Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in 1984 as the first-ever solo taiko performer, Hayashi has played with major orchestras including the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Berlin Philharmonic, as well as with world-renowned artists including Yosuke Yamashita, Sadao Watanabe, Kim Duk-Soo and Mamady Keita.