Songs of East Asia: Art songs from Japan, China, and Korea 

In the early 20th century, composers in Asian countries began writing art songs in the Western classical music style but each country followed a different course. For example, art songs written in the Western style played an important role for the Korean people, who were suffering from oppression caused by decades of Japanese occupation; Chinese composers went through a very difficult time during the Cultural Revolution and were restricted to writing music that promoted communist ideals; Japanese art songs developed side by side with the Dōyō movement, which created many high-quality children’s poems and songs. The concert includes guidance for audience members on language differences, as well as the aesthetics and mentality of poets and composers in these three countries. 

Concert programs are available in a virtual format only and may be viewed via a QR code at the performance when available.