• About Jeff von der Schmidt, the Hà Nội New Music Ensemble & LA International New Music Festival

Sound Travels with Jeff von der Schmidt

~ A blog about new music, travel and food

Sound Travels with Jeff von der Schmidt

Tag Archives: Tambuco Percussion Ensemble

Forest Chants & Mountain Walks With New & Old Friends in Kyoto

21 Thursday Dec 2017

Posted by Jeff von der Schmidt in Buddhism, Hanoi New Music Ensemble, Japan, Kyoto, Music, Travel, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Buddhism, Enrakuji Temple, Gregorian Chant, Guanyin, Hanoi New Music Ensemble, Hiyoshi Taisha Shrine, Kyoto, Maki Takafuji, Mt. Wu Tai, Ohara, Sanzen-in Temple, Seiryu-den Observation Deck, Shogun-Zuka Temple, Shomyo Buddhist Chanting, Tambuco Percussion Ensemble, Travel, Walking Meditation

27B08F87-51A0-462D-BF9E-59CE4D700E18

Meeting Maki Takafuji for the first time at Seiryu-den in Kyoto.

The city of Kyoto can be a paradox. The functional train station, workaday streets and boulevards, the normal comings and goings of its citizens, the overall grey quality of most of the recent architecture, all can elicit a potentially ambivalent response. Kyoto is a UNESCO World Heritage City with an extraordinary endowment of timeless shrines, temples, mind boggling handicrafts, legendary ceramics, world class tea and sake production, the legendary home of Noh and Kabuki, and maintains all the splendor of the once ancient capital of Japan. At first appearance, however, these wonders seem very hidden, as if the greatness of Kyoto is itself wrapped in a confusing furoshiki of the modern world.

But whereas the Vatican in Rome is housed in the magisterial architecture of the Renaissance, the sibling city for Buddhism in Kyoto is an ongoing interaction with nature. You will experience more open doors framing a view of nature in a Zen Temple in Kyoto than any Catholic Church in Rome.

Continue reading →

Finding Tambuco in Japan: “Are Those Bamboo Gamelans I Hear, Mr. Bond?”

12 Tuesday Dec 2017

Posted by Jeff von der Schmidt in Buddhism, Contemporary Music, Hanoi New Music Ensemble, Hong Kong New Music Ensemble, Japan, Kyoto, Tambuco Percussion Ensemble, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

007 Spectre, Art Curator Japan, David Newman, Hanoi New Music Ensemble, Hong Kong New Music Ensemble, Indonesia, John Harris, Kyoto, Maki Takafuji, Nagoya Marimbas, Naoko Minami, New Music Gathering Asia, Onjuku, Sam Mendes, Sanzen-in Temple, Shogun-zuka, Shomyo Chanting, Steve Reich, Tambuco Percussion Ensemble, Toru Takemitsu

8D274CC7-DA22-495F-98D9-190C397CB36B

With Maki Takafuji at Sanzen-in Temple in Ohara.

”Jeff, it’s interesting, after all our projects together, that we are now talking here about music and culture in Onjuku, Japan,” said my friend Ricardo Gallardo of the Tambuco Percussion Ensemble during an early morning coffee looking out on the Pacific Ocean.

“You and Jan must meet my friend Maki Takafuji when you go to Kyoto. She lives there, teaches in Nagoya and is a great advocate for new music, and she commissioned Steve Reich for the famous Nagoya Marimbas.”

But before we get to Kyoto, I should to tell you about why Ricardo and I were talking on the Pacific coast of Japan in Onjuku.

Continue reading →

In the Land of the Jaguar: My Mayan Diary of the Yucatán

22 Wednesday Feb 2017

Posted by Jeff von der Schmidt in Chichen Itza, Contemporary Music, Gabriela Ortiz, LA International New Music Festival, Mexico, Music, Sian Ka'an, Tambuco Percussion Ensemble, Tulum, Uncategorized, Uxmal, Yucatan

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Cancun, Chichen Itza, Cobá, Ek Balam, Gabriela Ortiz, Javier Alvarez, LA International New Music Festival, Mayan Pyramids, Merida, Mexico, Playa del Carmen, Ricardo Gallardo, Sian Ka'an, Tambuco Percussion Ensemble, Tulum, Uxmal, Valladolid, Yucatan

img_6532

The Pyramid of Kulkulkan at Chichén Itzá.

“Trust me, you will find your life divided,” predicted my best friend Ricardo Gallardo, director of the Tambuco Percussion Ensemble in México City. “There will be your life before the Yucatán, and then your life after the Yucatán.”

And Ricardo was right. After experiencing the vanished myths blending with the contemporary reality of the Maya Empire for the first time, a world that still spreads itself from Chiapas and the Yucatán Peninsula in México south to Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador in Central America, I am forever changed.

A visit to the birthplace of the sky? You can find it in the Yucatán.

Continue reading →

Los Angeles International New Music Festival Plans: More from Bogotá

31 Thursday Mar 2016

Posted by Jeff von der Schmidt in Bogota, Colombia, Composers, Contemporary Music, Food, LA International New Music Festival, Los Angeles, Mexico, Southwest Chamber Music, Tambuco Percussion Ensemble, Travel, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Alberto Ginastera, Beatriz Elena Martinez, Bogota, Colombia, El Candelario Restaurant, Ensamble CG, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Gustavo Dudamel, La Candelaria, LA International New Music Festival, Latin America, Martin Perlich, Ricardo Rozental, Rodolfo Acosta, Simon Bolivar, Southwest Chamber Music, Tambuco Percussion Ensemble, Usaquen, Vanessa Villages

The Santa Clara Convent in Bogota's La Candelaria.

The Santa Clara Convent in Bogotá’s La Candelaria District.

My last post contained a vibrant dose of Colombian energy, demonstrated by the opening citywide parade in Bogotá announcing the XV Iberoamerican Festival. As I’m beginning to process the impact visiting Colombia is exerting on my imagination (which kicked into high gear yesterday as we finally saw Ciro Guerra’s extraordinary Academy Award nominated film Embrace the Serpent) I’m reminded of one of the first conversations we had in Bogotá.

“Let me try to explain the situation of identity in Colombia for you,” said our new friend composer Rodolfo Acosta, the protagonist of contemporary music in Bogotá.

Continue reading →

Los Angeles International New Music Festival Plans: Bogotá Meetings

23 Wednesday Mar 2016

Posted by Jeff von der Schmidt in Bogota, Cartagena, Colombia, Composers, Contemporary Music, Food, Gabriela Ortiz, LA International New Music Festival, Tambuco Percussion Ensemble, Travel, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Battle of Boyaca, Bogota, Cartagena, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Gabriela Ortiz, Gaston Alzate, La Canedlaria, LA International New Music Festival, La Puerta Falsa, Leopoldo Novoa, Paola Marin, Plaza Simon Bolivar, Ricardo Gallardo, Ricardo Rozental, Rodolfo Acosta, Simon Bolivar, Southwest Chamber Music, Tambuco Percussion Ensemble, XV Iberoamerican Festival

Morning light on Santa Fe de Bogota's cathedral.

Morning light on Bogotá’s cathedral in Plaza Bolívar.

I’ve just returned from my first trip to Colombia, where Jan and I visited the cities of Cartagena and Bogotá for a series of meetings for the next Los Angeles International New Music Festival. We decided on going to our American neighbor for two reasons. One was the encouragement of Tambuco’s director, Ricardo Gallardo, who has been helping us get a handle on the new music and cultural scene of Latin America and urged us to begin with Colombia.

The other reason was our hunch that the achievement of Gabriel García Márquez was not a fluke. Behind such impressively great literature had to be a deep well of culture.

Continue reading →

Los Angeles International New Music Festival Plans: Pasadena Meetings

20 Saturday Feb 2016

Posted by Jeff von der Schmidt in Austria, Composers, Contemporary Music, Coyoacan, Diplomacy, Food, Hanoi New Music Ensemble, LA International New Music Festival, Los Angeles, Mexico, Music, REDCAT, Silverlake, Song Hong Ensemble, Southwest Chamber Music, Tambuco Percussion Ensemble, Travel, Uncategorized, Vienna, Vietnam, Walt Disney Concert Hall

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Asia, California, Hanoi New Music Ensemble, Javier Alvarez, L&E Oyster Bar, Larry d'Atillio, Los Angeles International New Music Festival, Mario Lavista, Martin Haselboeck, Ricardo Gallardo, Southwest Chamber Music, Tambuco Percussion Ensemble, Ton That Tiet, Tuyet Trinh Dao, USC Pacific Asia Museum, Veracruz

Javier Alvarez Corazon de Metal with Tambuco and Southwest at REDCAT July 2015.

Javier Alvarez’s Metal de Corazones with Tambuco and Southwest at REDCAT July 2015.

“Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” Humphrey Bogart, Casablanca

My last post brought you up to date on December meetings we had in Tokyo about the Los Angeles International New Music Festival. Jan and I have had a lot of important visits from new and old friends during January and the first part of February here in our Pasadena home. We’re setting the stage to weave elements of Latin America, Asia, Europe and the U.S. together as I plan the next festival’s incarnation.

Let me take you behind the scenes. We’ve had a busy beginning to 2016!

Continue reading →

Los Angeles International New Music Festival Plans: Tokyo Meetings

10 Wednesday Feb 2016

Posted by Jeff von der Schmidt in Composers, Contemporary Music, Hanoi New Music Ensemble, Japan, LA International New Music Festival, Los Angeles, Mexico, Music, REDCAT, Southwest Chamber Music, Tambuco Percussion Ensemble, Travel, Uncategorized, Vietnam, Walt Disney Concert Hall

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Asia, Bunraku, Hanoi New Music Ensemble, Ichiro Nodaira, Japan, Kent Nagano, LA International New Music Festival, Laura Mercado-Wright, Los Angeles, Masako Okamura, Masamichi Kinoshita, Pierre Boulez, Takumi Ikeda, Tambuco Percussion Ensemble, Tomoko Momiyama, Toru Takemitsu, Toshiya Watanabe, Vietnam

With Ricardo Gallardo in his Coyoacan home August 2015.

Dreams and celebrations for the LA International New Music Festival with Ricardo Gallardo in his Mexico City home.

After my busy autumn in Asia, the next Los Angeles International New Music Festival is in the planning stages. We hope to build on the success we enjoyed at REDCAT Theater in Walt Disney Concert Hall this past July.

I’m casting a wide net for the next festival. Thirty years of experience has taught me to carefully plan, plan, plan. And then plan some more. In baseball terms, I’m not swinging at the first pitch but rather patiently waiting for the pitch that I know I can crush out of the park!

Continue reading →

The Gin Party!

24 Monday Aug 2015

Posted by Jeff von der Schmidt in Composers, Contemporary Music, Elliott Carter, Food, LA International New Music Festival, Los Angeles, Music, REDCAT, Southwest Chamber Music, Tambuco Percussion Ensemble, Walt Disney Concert Hall

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Abdiel Gonzalez, Beefeater Gin, Bombay Sapphire East, Dutch Genever Gin, Elissa Jonhston, Elliott Carter, Gabriel Boudin Saffron Gin, Hanoi, Jacques Pepin, Jon Lee Keenan, LA International New Music Festival, Plymouth Sloe Gin, Southwest Chamber Music, Tambuco Percussion Ensemble, Vietnam

From left to right Amanda Aachen, Jon Lee Keenan, Abdiel Gonzalez and Elissa Johnston.

From left to right Amanda Aachen, Jon Lee Keenan, Abdiel Gonzalez and Elissa Johnston.

I hope you’re hungry and thirsty when you read this post!

It’s funny how celebrations come together. When I planned an all Elliott  Carter concert for our recently completed Los Angeles International New Music Festival at REDCAT, I didn’t give the idea the green light until I got positive responses from Jon Lee Keenan, Abdiel Gonzalez and Elissa Johnston. And all three were concert ready from the very first note, impressive to say the least

At the first rehearsal at my house, well ahead of getting together with the ensemble, Abdiel and I got to talking, as he had just returned from a tour to Ireland. Whiskey tastings had started around 10 AM. How about a true cocktail party to celebrate the Carter concert?

And so The Gin Party was born! Continue reading →

A 2015 LA International New Music Festival Photo Album

31 Friday Jul 2015

Posted by Jeff von der Schmidt in Composers, Contemporary Music, Elliott Carter, Gabriela Ortiz, Japan, LA International New Music Festival, Laura Mercado-Wright, Los Angeles, Mexico, Music, REDCAT, Southwest Chamber Music, Tambuco Percussion Ensemble, Toshio Hosokawa, Vietnam, Walt Disney Concert Hall

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Abdiel Gonzalez, Ayana Haviv, Eclipse Quartet, Elissa Johnston, Elliott Carter, Gabriela Ortiz, Javier Alvarez, Jon Lee Keenan, Jordi Savall, LA International New Music Festival, Laura Mercado-Wright, Leopoldo Novoa, Los Angeles, Mexico, Southwest Chamber Music, Tambuco Percussion Ensemble, Tembembe Ensemble, Toshio Hosokawa, Vu Nhat Tan

A good reason for smiles with Tambuco at REDCAT.

A good reason for smiles from Jan Karlin and Tambuco at REDCAT.

My friend Ricardo Gallardo, director of the magnificent Tambuco Percussion Ensemble of Mexico City, said it best at the conclusion of our third Los Angeles International New Music Festival. “We are just getting started!” 17 composers from Mexico, Japan, Vietnam, Cuba, Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Brazil and the United States in 23 works in 5 concerts performed by 45 musicians at REDCAT in Walt Disney Concert Hall played to over 1,000 appreciative audience members. Let’s not leave out 10 U.S. premieres and 5 here on the West Coast, as well as hosting composers Gabriela Ortiz from Mexico and Leopoldo Novoa of Colombia.

We have some exciting photos so let’s take a look at the concerts and the people who made this a not to be forgotten festival.

Continue reading →

The Tambuco Studio in Xalapa: “Are Those Marimbas I Hear, Mr. Bond?”

05 Sunday Jul 2015

Posted by Jeff von der Schmidt in Composers, Contemporary Music, Elliott Carter, Gabriela Ortiz, Hollywood, LA International New Music Festival, Los Angeles, Mexico, Music, REDCAT, Southwest Chamber Music, Tambuco Percussion Ensemble, Travel

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Day of the Dead, James Bond SPECTRE, LA International New Music Festival, Los Angeles, Southwest Chamber Music, Tambuco Percussion Ensemble

A Day of the Dead Parade opens SPECTRE, the next James Bond film.

A Day of the Dead Parade opens SPECTRE, the next James Bond film.

Here’s a Fun LA International New Music Festival Fact: Tambuco is part of the soundtrack of SPECTRE and the largest opening sequence in the history of the James Bond films set for release this November. To Tambuco’s surprise, director Sam Mendes is a huge fan of their work (via YouTube clips) and sent composer Thomas Newman to Mexico City to work on the score with them prior to shooting. Prepare for a percussive opening, that’s for sure!

This gargantuan opening sequence shut down the main square of Mexico City for about a week with thousands of extras, elaborately face painted and costumed for a Day of the Dead chase scene. Newman’s music is performed by Tambuco, who are also on camera during the sequence. We couldn’t be more proud of Tambuco!

“Are those marimbas I hear in Xalapa, Mr. Bond?”

Continue reading →

← Older posts

Categories

  • Ancient Ensemble of Tonkin (13)
  • Arnold Schoenberg (4)
  • Asam Laksa (3)
  • Austria (3)
  • Barcelona (3)
  • Batu Caves (1)
  • Bela Bartók (1)
  • Benet Casablancas (1)
  • Betty Freeman (3)
  • Big Sur (2)
  • Bogota (2)
  • Buddhism (7)
  • California wine (5)
  • Cambodia (2)
  • Carlos Chavez (4)
  • Carlos Fuentes (1)
  • Cartagena (2)
  • Cat Ba Island (2)
  • Catalonia (3)
  • Central Coast of California (1)
  • Chasen's (1)
  • Chichen Itza (3)
  • Christopher Isherwood (2)
  • Cobá (2)
  • Colombia (3)
  • Composers (71)
  • Cong CaPhe (4)
  • Contemporary Music (84)
  • Coyoacan (2)
  • Diego Rivera (1)
  • Diplomacy (10)
  • Eastern and Oriental Hotel (2)
  • Education (8)
  • Elbphilharmonie (2)
  • Elliott Carter (12)
  • Evan Hughes (4)
  • Farmers Markets (1)
  • Food (68)
  • Frida Kahlo (1)
  • Gabriel Garcia Marquez (1)
  • Gabriela Ortiz (9)
  • Georgetown (5)
  • Halong Bay (3)
  • Hamburg (2)
  • Hanoi (26)
  • Hanoi New Music Ensemble (38)
  • Hanzhou (1)
  • Hermann Hesse (2)
  • Hoi An (1)
  • Hollywood (4)
  • Hong Kong (6)
  • Hong Kong New Music Ensemble (4)
  • Humphrey Bogart (1)
  • Igor Stravinsky (1)
  • Jacob Zeitlin (2)
  • Japan (8)
  • John Cage (7)
  • Ken Burns (1)
  • Kent Nagano (4)
  • Kim Ngoc Tran (9)
  • Kuala Lumpur (2)
  • Kyoto (8)
  • LA International New Music Festival (93)
  • Laos (5)
  • Latin Grammy Awards (14)
  • Laura Mercado-Wright (3)
  • Lauren Bacall (1)
  • Leon Trotsky (1)
  • Los Angeles (27)
  • Luang Prabang (6)
  • Malaysia (7)
  • Manzi Art Space (3)
  • Merida (2)
  • Mexico (22)
  • Minh Dam Quang (5)
  • Music (77)
  • New York City (2)
  • Nguyen Minh Nhat (6)
  • Nguyen Thien Dao (2)
  • Nom Calligraphy (1)
  • Paris (9)
  • Paseo de Montejo (2)
  • Penang Island (5)
  • Perigueux (1)
  • REDCAT (12)
  • San Francisco (2)
  • Secret War in Laos (1)
  • Sian Ka'an (1)
  • Silverlake (2)
  • Singapore (3)
  • Song Hong Ensemble (4)
  • Southwest Chamber Music (70)
  • Taipei (4)
  • Tambuco Percussion Ensemble (17)
  • Tea (2)
  • Ton That Tiet (1)
  • Toshio Hosokawa (3)
  • Travel (96)
  • Tulum (2)
  • Uncategorized (109)
  • Uxmal (3)
  • UXO Removal (1)
  • Valladolid (2)
  • Vienna (4)
  • Vienna Philharmonic (1)
  • Vietnam (66)
  • Vu Nhat Tan (23)
  • W. Somerset Maugham (1)
  • Walt Disney Concert Hall (12)
  • Wat Xieng Thong (1)
  • William Kraft (1)
  • Woman in Gold (1)
  • Women's March (1)
  • Yucatan (3)
Follow Sound Travels with Jeff von der Schmidt on WordPress.com

Like us on Facebook

Like us on Facebook

Archives

Blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel