SHOMYO NO KAI: VOICES OF A THOUSAND YEARS at University of Chicago

MARCH 30 - APRIL 30 | $15 | ONLINE

Described as meditative and sublime, the Buddhist form of ritual chant known as shomyo is one of the oldest living forms of vocal music. Shomyo no Kai, a chorus of two dozen priests from the Shingon and Tendai sects of Japanese Buddhism, sets ancient shomyo against the backdrop of Tsuki no Kogo, one of the oldest standing temples in Tokyo's Itabashi Ward, offering moments of reflection and relaxation in a turbulent year. Before the concert, musicologist Steven G. Nelson, Professor at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, shares the history and practice of Shomyo, and after, the head monks of the Shingon and Tendai Buddhist sects host a live Q&A.

Presented in partnership with the Japan Society, and with support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the University of Chicago Center for East Asian Studies, International House at the University of Chicago, and Rockefeller Memorial Chapel.