SOURCE: National Cherry Blossom Festival
WHAT: Opening Ceremony
WHEN: March 24, 2018 from 5 PM to 6:30 PM
WHERE: Warner Theatre, 513 13th Street, NW, Washington, DC
OPENING CEREMONY
Signature Event
MARCH 24, 2018
TwitterFacebook
Time:
5 – 6:30 PM
Location:
Warner Theatre, 513 13th Street, NW (map)
Cost:
FREE; Advance ticketing required. There will be a $5 registration fee when tickets are claimed.
Premium seating available with a $15 donation. The donation is processed via your ticket purchase on Ticketfly.
Tickets:
Click here for tickets!
http://www.ticketfly.com/event/1545729
ABOUT
Kick-off the 2018 National Cherry Blossom Festival and watch world-renowned performers as we welcome springtime to Washington, DC and celebrate the anniversary of the gift of trees from Japan to the United States. Enjoy spirited traditional and contemporary performances in the historic Warner Theatre. The Festival heralds a natural treasure that unites our city, region, nation, and the world. The trees – both in Japan and the U.S. – always have symbolized birth and renewal. The Opening Ceremony celebrates the season through a showcase of great American and Japanese talent.
Performers:
T.M.Revolution: Born 1970 in Shiga prefecture, Takanori Nishikawa made his debut under his stage name T.M.Revolution (T.M.R.) in May 1996 with his single “Dokusai –monopolize-”. Since then, he has established a reputation as a singer with ear-catching tunes, perfect stage-setting and intriguing live performances. Many of his singles have been featured as theme songs for major animations and games including “Mobile Suit Gundam”, and “Sengoku BASARA”. Since his debut, T.M.R. has built a global fan base and reputation mainly among Japanimation fans.
Akiko Yano: Akiko Yano was born in Tokyo and raised in Aomori, Japan. When her debut album Japanese Girl was released in 1976, many reputed her to be a “girl with a musical wonder.” To date, Akiko has released 27 original albums. In 2008, her original album akiko was recorded in Los Angeles, California and produced by Grammy-Award winning producer T Bone Burnett.
The 6821 Quintet: Created by The Ryuji Ueno Foundation as part of the Potomac Music-Lab Project, this classical ensemble was specially assembled for the National Cherry Blossom Festival and named to reflect the distance from Tokyo to Washington, D.C. The group of world-class musicians perform a variety of classical and popular songs, and will premier a specially-composed piece as they return to the Opening Ceremony stage for the third year. The Potomac Music-Lab Project serves as an incubator for classical music, where world-class musicians can experiment with their craft.
Shodo Girls (Fukuoka Prefectural Yahata Chuo High School): During Shodo performances, whether on stage or at a street corner, a work of calligraphy is completed vibrantly while dancing to music. “Shodo Performance Koshien” is a competition to determine the top high school Shodo performance team in Japan. In this competition, each team produces a single piece of work with the dynamic strokes on a large sheet of paper. In 2017, the Fukuoka Prefectural Yahata Chuo High School Japanese Calligraphy Club won the first prize in the 10th “Shodo Performance Koshien”, and has been one of the top finalists eight consecutive times. The club has been praised for their dynamic performance, innovative calligraphy composition, and their natural approach toward Shodo expressions.
Miyako Taiko: Miyako Taiko (pronounced “mee-YAH-koh TIE-koh”) is a Japanese drumming group based in the Washington, DC area and part of the Mark H Taiko School.
WHEELCHAIR AND HEARING-IMPAIRED SEATING REQUESTS
To request wheelchair seating or hearing-impaired seating (require ASL interpreter), contact the National Cherry Blossom Festival ticket manager at tickets@ncbfdc.org. Wheelchair and hearing-impaired seating requests are limited to two per patron.
Getting There:
Metro: The Warner Theatre is accessible through the Metro Center station. This can be accessed through the red, orange, silver and blue lines.
http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/opening-ceremony/
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Nora Stumpf
202.638.8374 (o)
nstrumpf@ncbfdc.org
OPENING CEREMONY KICKS OFF SPRING AND HONORS GIFT OF TREES WITH WORLD-CLASS TALENT FROM THE U.S. AND JAPAN
Washington, DC [March 1, 2018] – The National Cherry Blossom Festival’s signature Opening Ceremony will take place Saturday, March 24 at the Warner Theatre from 5-6:30 p.m. The event welcomes the nation’s greatest springtime celebration and marks the annual commemoration of the 1912 gift of cherry blossom trees from Tokyo to Washington, DC. The friendship between the U.S. and Japan is celebrated through outstanding performances from acclaimed artists with ties to both countries; Festival leaders and dignitaries help narrate the ceremony, including a special moment of friendship between DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and the newly appointed Ambassador of Japan, His Excellency Shinsuke Sugiyama. Free tickets have all been claimed, but the ceremony will be streamed live to audiences around the world on the Festival’s Facebook.
Performers include:
• T.M.Revolution: Takanori Nishikawa made his debut under his stage name T.M.Revolution (T.M.R.) in May 1996 with his single “Dokusai –monopolize-”. Since then, he has established a reputation as a singer with ear-catching tunes, perfect stage-setting and intriguing live performances. Many of his singles have been featured as theme songs for major animations and video games including “Mobile Suit Gundam”, and “Sengoku BASARA”. Since his debut, T.M.R. has built a global fan base and reputation mainly among Japanimation fans.
• Akiko Yano: Akiko Yano was born in Tokyo and raised in Aomori, Japan. When her debut album Japanese Girl was released in 1976, many reputed her to be a “girl with a musical wonder.” To date, Akiko has released 27 original albums. In 2008, her original album akiko was recorded in Los Angeles, California and produced by Grammy Award winning producer T Bone Burnett.
• The 6821 Quintet: Created by The Ryuji Ueno Foundation as part of the Potomac Music-Lab Project, this classical ensemble was specially assembled for the National Cherry Blossom Festival and named to reflect the distance from Tokyo to Washington, D.C. The group is comprised of five internationally renowned musicians and led by Mayu Kishima, who caused a stir in the music world when she took top prize at the First Shanghai Isaac Stern International Violin Competition. Additional group members include violinist Eric Silberger, violist Meng Wang, cellist Clancy Newman, and pianist Matias Piegari. The 6821 Quintet will debut a special piece composed by Kunihiko Murai, who composed the theme song for the 1972 Olympics in Sapporo.
• Shodo Girls (Fukuoka Prefectural Yahata Chuo High School): During Shodo performances, whether on stage or at a street corner, a work of calligraphy is completed vibrantly while dancing to music. “Shodo Performance Koshien” is a competition to determine the top high school Shodo performance team in Japan. In this competition, each team produces a single piece of work with the dynamic strokes on a large sheet of paper. In 2017, the Fukuoka Prefectural Yahata Chuo High School Japanese Calligraphy Club won the first prize in the 10th “Shodo Performance Koshien”, and has been one of the top finalists eight consecutive times. The club has been praised for their dynamic performance, innovative calligraphy composition, and their natural approach toward Shodo expressions.
• Miyako Taiko: Miyako Taiko (pronounced “mee-YAH-koh TIE-koh”) is a Japanese drumming group based in the Washington DC area and part of the Mark H Taiko School. This culturally diverse group of performers present dynamic rhythms that are sure to bring the crowd to its feet.
The Opening Ceremony is co-presented by Japan Foundation and supported by Ryuji Ueno Foundation, Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), Japan Commerce Association of Washington Foundation, TOYOTA, Toshiba America, Inc., Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and Warner Theatre.
The National Cherry Blossom Festival is the nation’s greatest springtime celebration. The 2018 Festival, March 20 – April 15, includes four weeks of events featuring diverse and creative programming promoting traditional and contemporary arts and culture, natural beauty, and community spirit. Visit nationalcherryblossomfestival.org or call 877.44.BLOOM for more information, or check out Facebook (CherryBlossomFestival), Twitter (@CherryBlossFest), and Instagram (@CherryBlossFest).
###