Naoyuki MANABE GAGAKU Ensemble 2025 Performance

The group was formed in 2020 at the Corona Disaster under the philosophy that "only performers who respect tradition and continue to study can create new traditions. Using a performance format that is not bound by the formalities of stage and audience, NMGE has successfully completed and performed "Kodama-buki" and "Omeribuki and Omerimai in two groups," creating a style unique to NMGE.
We have also bridged the gap between tradition and modernity, fusing the 1,300-year-old history of gagaku with the latest music of today. By delving deeply into the two opposing sides of "tradition" and "avant-garde" from both directions, we have been able to position our works not as avant-garde works from a Western perspective, but as an extension of the tradition of Gagaku. By integrating the two separate streams of activities, it became possible to present "Gagaku of today and Gagaku of the future. In 2024, these activities were recognized with the 16th "Creating Tradition Award" from the Japan Arts and Culture Foundation.