Tatsuya Nakatani to Perform Concerts at U of A and Fayetteville's Walker Park

by Jonathan Sielaff

Tatsuya Nakatani

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Sound artist and master percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani returns to Northwest Arkansas for a pair of concerts the weekend of Sept. 16-17.

He will perform with University of Arkansas faculty members Jake Herzog and David Andree at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall at the U of A. This event is sponsored jointly by the School of Art and the Department of Music, and is free and open to the public.

At 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17, Nakatani will lead a performance by the Nakatani Gong Orchestra, at the large eastern pavilion of Fayetteville’s Walker Park. This performance will feature up to 14 local participants, and is being presented by the Artists Laboratory Theatre. Nakatani has staged Gong Orchestra performances across the country, providing unique and indelible experiences for both players and audiences. Audiences are invited to bring their own seating and make a “pay what you can” donation.

Nakatani, originally from Osaka, Japan, has lived and worked in the United States since the mid-90s. He has released over 80 recordings in North America and Europe and tours constantly, performing solo percussion concerts and collaborating with hundreds of artists in international music festivals, university concert halls, art museums and independent venues. His Nakatani Gong Orchestra is a mobile community engagement project that organizes local ensembles performing on multiple bowed gongs.