Photo by Masato Fujita

Wednesday, October 8, 20:00 Explanada de la Alhondiga

Tokyo Dageki Dan is a band of percussionists founded by Jin-ichi Hiranuma in 1995. Their energetic and dynamic Japanese drum performances have enraptured audiences around the world. After performing at the festival, they will embark on a tour spanning a total of about three weeks, performing and conducting workshops in 10 cities across Mexico. Tokyo Dageki Dan aims to build a foundation for popularizing Japanese drums in all parts of the world.

Photo by Ryuichi Maruo YCAM

Friday, October 10, Saturday Oct 11, 20:00 Auditorio del Estado

This performance is a collaborative effort between the creative group Rhizomatiks, which has talents in diverse fields including design, art, architecture, mathematics, and engineering, and elevenplay, a dance company led by choreographer MIKIKO. In this performance, they combine film and dance to produce a novel form of expression. The performance will also be presented at the International Digital Creation Festival (Mexico City), as well as in two cities in Northern Coahuila.

Tuesday, October 14, 18:00 Teatro Cervantes

Hachioji Kuruma Ningyo is a form of art that has been passed down from the Edo era, and has been designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property by the Japanese government. The Koryu Nishikawa Troupe has performed actively overseas, and continues to capture the hearts of many fans around the world. For this Mexico tour, it will be putting up performances for the general public, as well as conducting lectures, demonstrations, and workshops for young students who aim to take up the theatrical arts.

Photo by Tetsuaki Oda

Wednesday, October 15, 17:00 Templo de la Compañía

Next Mushroom Promotion Ensemble was formed in 2001 through the initiative of composer Tomoko Fukui, and with the cooperation of composer Motoharu Kawashima and clarinetist Nozomi Ueda, with the aim of revitalizing the contemporary music scene, particularly in the Kansai region. The group’s name was chosen because of an anecdote about the contemporary American composer, John Cage, who had a liking for mushrooms because in the dictionary, the next word coming after “mushroom” is “music.”

Photo by E. Miyoshi

Thursday, Oct 23, 21:00 Teatro Juáez

Ryu Goto (b. 1988) is an international violinist based in New York. He often takes time from between his performances around the world to play an active role in social contribution and education activities. At this festival, he will perform with the Orquesta Sinfónica de la Universidad de Guanajuato (University of Guanajuato Symphony Orchestra), and hold joint recitals with Mexican pianists in León, Monterrey, and Mexico City. He will also mingle and interact with young music-lovers through school visits, and master classes at music colleges.