Exciting New Partnership with Composer Paul Chihara
By Jessa Gardner
Paul Chihara, courtesy of his website paulchihara.com
We are absolutely delighted to announce a wonderful new project coming to the Seattle Japanese Garden in 2021! Paul Chihara, a native Seattleite and award-winning composer, is creating an original chamber work for violin, percussion, and cello to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Seattle Japanese Garden, which we celebrated virtually on June 5th, 2020.
Paul is an accomplished composer with many awards and commendations to his name, including those from The Lili Boulanger Memorial Award, the Naumberg Foundation, the Guggenheim Foundation, the Fulbright Fellowship, the Aaron Copland Fund, and National Endowment for the Arts, as well as from the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the New Japan Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, the New Juilliard Ensemble, and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.
Mr. Chihara’s prize-winning concert works have been performed in most major cities and arts centers in the U.S. and Europe, and we are honored to add the Seattle Japanese Garden to that list in 2021. Mr. Chihara himself will come to Seattle and visit the Seattle Japanese Garden for the premiere of this new composition.
We hope to host a live premiere performance of the piece in August 2021, provided it is a safe and healthy environment to do so. Otherwise, we will schedule a public performance as soon as possible.
You can be a part of this project!
Starting on March 1st, 2021, there is a special opportunity to support this project as part of the Arboretum Foundation’s Spring Forward Gala, a fundraiser for the Washington Park Arboretum and Seattle Japanese Garden. There is an item in the virtual auction titled “Be an Arts Patron: Behind the Scenes with Composer Paul Chihara”.
All proceeds from this auction item go to support this project, with special perks for the winning bidder! You can win the opportunity to talk one-on-one with Mr. Chihara via Zoom, where you can ask him about his composition and his fascinating experiences as a musician. Additionally, you and three guests will receive VIP treatment and recognition at the inaugural performance of Mr. Chihara’s work! You will also receive a signed copy of the score, as a reminder of your contribution to the lasting legacy of the Seattle Japanese Garden.