"... inaugurating an enlightening series entitled "Sounds of Modern Japan", pianist Sachiko Kato has taken on the task of educating the public while entertaining them at the same time,"

"... highly recommend this innovative new series; there is much to explore."

"... good to gain some perspective on how Japanese music developed in the last century and how varied the repertory is."
- New York Concert Review

"Weaving Japanese Sounds is a concert series that showcases some of the most interesting and far-reaching Japanese composers, emerging and established alike. I come away from each event musically and spiritually nourished by Sachiko Kato's imaginative programming savvy and, of course, her generous presence and colorful, scintillating pianism."
- Jed Distler, composer/pianist, critic, artistic director of ComposersCollaborative, Inc.

Weaving Japanese Sounds was established in 2004 by pianist Sachiko Kato, in the hopes of stimulating inter-cultural understanding and inspiring cross-cultural music-making by introducing new music from Japan to American audiences Its concerts have already received critical acclaim attracting loyal and deeply involved audiences.

Since the advent of TV and internet, the world has become so much smaller, enabling us to obtain information from anywhere instantaneously. What used to be a one-way exchange in which the East absorbed the cultural influences from the West is now a two-way exchange in which now the West is hungry to learn what is happening in the East. Particularly new trends from Japan such as arts, films including anime, fashion, etc. have garnered interest from mainstream America. Serious music, however, is not so easily discovered through TV and the internet. Unless it is a work by a very prominent composer, it is unlikely that anyone in the West will be exposed to it even in recording. Thus, it falls upon Weaving Japanese Sounds to fill this gap.

Weaving Japanese Sounds is a concert series devoted to presenting classical Japanese contemporary music in friendly and accessible settings so that the audiences can fully enjoy the beauty and diversity of the music without feeling "intimidated" by it. The programs are designed to showcase a variety of styles as well as instrumentations. Special attention is paid to illustrate the diversity of Japanese new music by programming the works by such prominent composers as Toru Takemitsu and Toshi Ichiyanagi alongside the works by relatively unknown young composers. We also commission new works from these emerging composers to help invigorate the new music scene in general. Our performers are superbly talented young musicians who are all passionate about discovering new music from around the world. Their energetic first-rate playing is one of the factors that make the Weaving Japanese Sounds concerts unparalleled experiences for the audiences.