Interwoven Ensemble to Perform Inaugural Concert

Premiering tonight, the string ensemble's mission is to integrate the sounds of East and West, as well as old and new

Founded by GRAMMY-winning violinist Keiko Tokunaga, Interwoven was founded in reaction to the change in the social climate that occurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

An individual of Asian heritage, Tokunaga was saddened by the news of racial injustice towards the AAPI community. She was shocked by the lack of response from other racial groups, and by the hesitation to speak up amongst her colleagues.

“I felt that our voices were not heard and realized that we had to start searching for peaceful ways to stand up for ourselves,” she said.

For this first performance — taking place tonight, Tuesday, October 12, at 7 PM in New York's Cary Hall of the DiMenna Center for Classical Music — Tokunaga is joined by some of the leading virtuosi in Asian traditional music.

These include Yoko Reikano Kimura on Koto (Japanese zither), Gamin on Piri (Korean reed bamboo flute), and Andy Lin on Erhu (Chinese 2-string instrument). Their counterparts in Western classical music tradition are Alex Fortes of Orchestra of St. Lukes, Ana Kim, Kyle Miller, and Hikaru Tamaki.

They will perform music that celebrates the diverse histories of both cultures, exploring the traditions to find a new path for AAPI musicians who chose the United States as their true home.

The program is to include:

• Liu Tianhua & Chen Yaoxing: Wildlife Suite for Erhu and String Trio (1928 & 1976)

• Alessandro Scarlatti: Sonate a Quattro No. 4 (1715-25)

• Caroline Shaw: Punctum (2013)

• Eun Young Lee: Bagooni (2019) (New York premiere)

• Daron Hagen: Koto Concerto “Genji” (2010) (New York premiere of 13-string Koto version)

• Tchaikovsky: Souvenir de Florence (1890)

Admission to the concert free, but the organization asks that interested parties RSVP, here.