In conjunction with the exhibition Striking Chords: Music in Ukiyo-e Prints, on view at the RISD Museum through July 2022, the RISD Liberal Arts Division will sponsor two performances featuring of Japanese traditional instruments. The exhibition of fourteen woodblock prints curated by students in the RISD Ukiyo-e Prints class (THAD 791, Fall 2021) focuses on the ubiquity of music in the life of Japanese townspeople during the Edo period (1615–1868). Live Japanese music will complement and animate the images from the exhibition, providing for an immersive experience.

International musician Sumie Kaneko will play the koto, a thirteen-string zither, and the shamisen, a three-string lute-like instrument. An accomplished master in traditional Japanese music, Sumie is also a pioneer in jazz and experimental music. She has performed with various international ensembles and introduced Japanese music in numerous workshops across the country.