MATA PRESENTS 2026

MATA Presents at Carnegie Hill Concerts:
"in place of the blade"

At MATA, we are constantly seeking music that inhabits the "interval"—the space where different cultures, eras, and emotional states collide. On Tuesday, April 28, we invite you to Carnegie Hill Concerts for an intimate performance that does exactly that.

In partnership with Kyo-Shin-An Arts, we are proud to present the New York Premiere of Amane Sakaguchi’s "in place of the blade", a work that bridges the 13th-century Japanese epic The Tale of the Heike with the contemporary landscape of Western classical music.

Composer Amane Sakaguchi first encountered the story of the warrior Naozane and the young aristocrat Atsumori in high school. It is a narrative defined not by military triumph, but by the harrowing tension between a soldier’s duty and his innate humanity.

Six years ago, Sakaguchi first set this story as a Nagauta—a traditional Japanese vocal genre accompanied by the shamisen. For this New York Premiere, she has translated the text into English and reimagined the score for soprano and string quartet. The result is a profound "musical translation" that retains the spirit of Japanese tradition while exploring the versatile textures of a modern ensemble.

The title, "in place of the blade", stems from a pivotal moment in the narrative. After a fatal confrontation, the warrior Naozane reaches for his opponent’s weapon, only to find a flute. This discovery—that even in the midst of bloodshed, his "enemy" carried music and refinement—triggers a spiritual transformation.

As Sakaguchi notes in her program notes:

"The title refers to the quiet revelation that where a sword should have been, there was a flute. It serves as a metaphor for dignity preserved within violence, and for a human presence shaped by grace even in a place devoted to death."

The evening begins with the New York Premiere of 須磨の浦 Suma-no-Ura (The Bay of Suma), featuring Amane Sakaguchi on shamisen and Yoko Reikano Kimura on voice. This opening sets the stage with the tactile sounds of waves crashing against the shore—imagery that recurs throughout the main work to reflect the ebb and flow of human emotion.

The program concludes with a performance of "in place of the blade" featuring the Kodak Quartet and soprano Juliet Schlefer, paired with Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 7 in F-sharp minor, a work similarly steeped in introspection and memory.

This performance is more than a concert; it is an exploration of how we carry legacy into the modern world. We invite you to stay after the program for a dedicated Q&A session with Amane Sakaguchi and the performers to dive deeper into the creative process.

Event Details:

• What: MATA Presents: "in place of the blade"

• When: Tuesday, April 28, 2026 | 7:30 PM

• Where: Carnegie Hill Concerts at the Church of Advent Hope (111 E 87th St, NYC)

• Tickets: Pay-What-You-Wish ($30 Suggested Donation)

Experience #TomorrowsMusicToday as we witness the transformation of violence into grace through the power of sound.