Composer Miya Masaoka has started playing the "Laser Koto," a futuristic version of the traditional Japanese stringed instrument, the Koto, that's been around since the 8th century. Masaoka outfitted ...

With a bow to Conductor Leopold Stokowski, a bow to the Philadelphia Orchestra, a bow to the audience in Manhattan’s Philharmonic Hall, stocky Kimio Eto adjusted his formal robes and settled before a ...

The koto's timbre. . .gives the music an ethereal air, quite fitting since the koto was an ancient instrument identified with the voice of the spirit in medieval times My wife and I are sitting in ...

Japanese-studies specialist and Japanese language teacher Katarzyna Karpowicz tells us about playing the koto and the Japanese musical avant-garde. Filip Lech: How did you end up in Japan? Katarzyna ...

This article is part of a three-part series. To learn about a biwa master and her music lessons, see here. To learn about a taiko master and her music lessons, see here. Traditional Japanese ...