On the evening of Friday, June 14th, we were delighted to present composer/improviser/multi-instrumentalist Shoko Nagai (NYC), interdisciplinary artist Jeremy Bible (OH), experimental musician/composer Michael Thomas Jackson (NC), and dark ambient musician Jeff Chenault’s solo project Central Inhabitants (CMH).
Supporters of our 2023-2024 season include the Greater Columbus Arts Council, the Ohio Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Columbus Foundation.
About the artist:
Shoko Nagai is a versatile musical artist who improvises and performs with world-renowned musicians on piano and accordion and composes original scores for films and live performances. As a teenager in her native Japan, Nagai was trained on Yamaha’s electronic organ, the “Electone,” to perform popular music. Since moving to the U.S. from Japan and studying classical, jazz music, and compositions at Berklee, she has adapted her mastery of the keyboard to prepared piano, accordions, and other keyboard instruments, often inspired by the minimalist approach of composer Toru Takemitsu. Whether she is performing Klezmer, Balkan or experimental music, Nagai is a charismatic presence onstage, who hypnotizes audiences with her intense focus and virtuoso sound.