DEX PRESENTS: SUMMER GIVING 2024 – LA JAPAN ENSEMBLE GALA
(LOS ANGELES, CA, June 11, 2024) The Japan Ensemble is hosting a fundraising gala presented by Dex Digital Sample Library at LA ARTCORE on Wednesday, July 17 from 7 PM to 9 PM. The night includes performances by the Japanese Ensemble, a film screening, a silent auction, and a satsuma-imo (Japanese sweet potato) taco dinner, which is included in the ticket price. Performances by The Japanese Ensemble, directed by Kozue Matsumoto (Shogun on Hulu/Disney, Ghost of Tsushima, Genshin Concert Orchestra), will include chamber works, a taiko performance, and a full ensemble concert.
LA Japan Ensemble recording a new set of works.
Tickets for the gala are available below, with a flat ticket price of $125. Guests are encouraged to donate beyond the ticket price to reach an initial funding goal of $10,000, of which a majority will go toward a matching fund for the ensemble to match any donations made during the gala. Special $20 student pricing is available for any student who displays a valid CA student ID upon entry.
This fundraising effort comes at the sudden news of the student ensemble’s funding being cut this Spring by the California Institute of the Arts, the ensemble’s original endorser. “This should be a period of giving to all BIPOC communities, not the opposite,” a student member states. “We deserve to exist, and we deserve to be successful with what we have built, not have it taken away. We’re not going anywhere soon.”
The ensemble, active since 2015, has amassed many passionate students who call the group family. “Learning how to play the koto encouraged me to rediscover what it means to be a part of the wider AAPI community,” another student shares. “It was deeply influential for me to work alongside Kozue Matsumoto in this endeavor as I believe her musical experience plays an integral part in the preservation and cultivation of Japanese culture in the West.”
We appreciate any donations! If you’d like a direct link to ticketing instead, click here.
TICKETS
ABOUT THE ENSEMBLE
The Japan Ensemble, led by Prof. Kozue Matsumoto, is a group of dedicated student musicians based in Santa Clarita, CA, committed to celebrating and sharing Japanese music and culture through education and performance. The ensemble is proud to be part of such a vibrant local area and excited by every opportunity to engage with our community through music.
The ensemble began in 2015 at CalArts, where Prof. Matsumoto teaches a class introducing students from diverse backgrounds to Japanese culture, traditions, and instruments. All of the ensemble’s current members began their journey in this class and fell in love with Japanese music under Kozue’s knowledgeable and passionate guidance.
The ensemble members have devoted years to honing their skills on their instruments. Through our performances, we’ve formed close ties with communities across Santa Clarita and Los Angeles, reaching audiences at libraries, gardens, schools, and the community.
LA Artcore is located at 120 judge john aiso st, Los Angeles, CA, 90012.
For media inquiries, please contact info@dexdsl.com