On August 12th, 2021 the Seattle Japanese Garden will be hosting Garden Party, an in-person celebration and fundraising event. Please join Seattle Parks and Recreation and the Arboretum Foundation for this belated celebration of the Garden’s 60th anniversary. The party will be held in the garden from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. and will feature traditional Japanese food and drink enjoyed in the lush and tranquil setting of the garden.
This intimate evening in the garden will feature the world premiere of Paul Chihara’s “The Garden of Enchantment,” an original chamber work for violin, percussion, and cello performed by Noah Geller, Mari Yoshinaga, and Efe Baltacigil of the Seattle Symphony. This work was commissioned by the Arboretum Foundation to celebrate the long history of the Seattle Japanese Garden and its special connection with Seattle and Japan.
An award-winning composer and native Seattleite, Chihara created the piece to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Japanese Garden. Chihara’s long and distinguished history as a composer includes compositions for symphony, ballet, and the film and movie industry. His esteemed concert works have been performed by the world’s most distinguished orchestras including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the New Japan Philharmonic, the New Juilliard Ensemble, and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.
Another highlight of this very special evening is the presentation of the 2020 Japanese Foreign Minister’s Award by Consul General of Japan in Seattle Hisao Inagaki to the Seattle Japanese Garden. This commendation is awarded “to individuals and groups with outstanding achievements in international fields, in order to acknowledge their contributions to the promotion of friendship between Japan and other countries and areas.”
This biannual special event is not to be missed!
About Paul Chihara
Paul Chihara is a Japanese-American composer who was born in Seattle in 1938. He has created scores for over 100 films as well as works for ballet, symphony, and choral arrangements. Mr. Chihara taught at UCLA and is currently a professor of music at New York University. His work has been performed on stages and screens across the United States and Europe, and celebrated all around the world.
More information at: www.paulchihara.com/
About the Seattle Japanese Garden
Opened to the public in 1960, the Seattle Japanese Garden has just celebrated its 60th “kanreki” anniversary season. Managed jointly by Seattle Parks and Recreation and the Arboretum Foundation, the Garden welcomes over 120,000 visitors each year from all around the world.
More information at: www.seattlejapanesegarden
