To commemorate the first anniversary of the catastrophic Japan earthquake and tsunami, you are invited to attend a memorial concert and photo exhibit on March 11, 2012, at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco. It is also a fundraising event for the Japan Recovery Project sponsored by the Public Health Insitute. The concert program features compositions of Bach, Vivaldi, and Franck, as well as performances on the traditional Japanese koto instrument, and story-teller Brenda Aoki. Also, I will play the Cesar Franck violin sonata with Alexander Barantschik, concertmaster of the San Francisco Symphony.
The Herbst Theatre will also present a photo exhibit by Satoshi Ueda, who comes from Rikuzen Takada in Tohoku, which was severely damaged by the disaster. Immediately after the earthquake and tsunami hit Tohoku, Mr. Ueda stopped all his professional projects in order to photograph the ruins of his decimated hometown, Rikuen Takada and record its agonizing road to recovery. Mr.Ueda, who is internationally acclaimed for his artistic accomplishments, will be present for the event.
A particular goal of this event is to raise funds to support the Japan Recovery Project for mental health services. It is incredible that the people of Tohoku managed to maintain their morale and orderliness under the stress of the catastrophe. Nevertheless, many of the Tohoku survivors are still suffering from the post-traumatic stress disorder and desperately need mental and moral support, perhaps for the remainder of their lives.
Tears of the Earth Memorial Concert and Photo Exhibit for the Great East Japan Earthquake
Sunday March 11, 2012