Event

Admission: Free (first come, first seated); door opens at 7PM.

This year marks the 140th birthday of renowned Japanese illustrator Takehisa Yumeji. To celebrate, a vocal recital will be hosted. Enjoy an evening of Japanese and Western song, designed to recreate the extraordinary effervescence of the era.

Like the Ziegfield Follies in Roaring 20s America, the Seno’o scores took Japan by storm and epitomized a vibrant new leisure culture in 1920s Japan. Seno’o’s compositions are still cherished today, and the combination of their harmony and Yumeji’s beautiful illustrations epitomizes the incandescent spirit of Taishō Japan. Delivering this homage to Yumeji and Seno’o will be celebrated Japanese soprano Yasko Fujii and award-winning pianist Eri Kang, appearing together in Philadelphia for the first time. Just in time for the upcoming Cherry Blossom Festival and our partner Opera Philadelphia’s new production of Madama Butterfly. Immerse yourself in the luminescence of Taishō in Philadelphia with this one-time only event! My heartfelt thanks to Yasko, Eri, and Ren Egawa, our board’s vice president for making this event a reality.

Originally from Fukuyama, Hiroshima, Ms. Fujii is an alumna of Japan’s Keio University, and refined her operatic artistry through the Japan Opera Foundation. Her talent was recognized with a scholarship funded by the Italian government, enabling her studies at the Bologna Philarmonic Academy. Under the mentorship of Maestro Joseph Gardina, Ms. Fujii achieved international recognition by winning Saluzzo's international opera competition.

Pianist, Eri Kang’s tone beauty and compelling musicality has been hailed by audiences throughout the world. As Japanese-born Korean American Pianist, soloist, collaborative pianist and chamber musician, she has appeared frequently at the major concert halls in New York City. She has also performed in Europe, in the Far East such as Korea, Japan and China, throughout the United States and South America. She has received rave reviews from major Newspapers and Music Magazines such as the Los Angeles Times, Strad Magazine and String Magazine, etc. She has been also heard on NPR, WQXR, WNCN, and at numerous music festivals.

 “Taishō Romance: A Vocal Recital” is sponsored by Dr. Felice Fischer.