Noh in Dialogue: Music and Tradition in Japanese Performing Arts

Discover the world of Noh (能), the oldest surviving form of Japanese theater. This program explores Noh’s refined masks, stylized movement, distinctive stage, and evocative musical traditions. The presentation places Noh in conversation with later classical forms such as Kabuki (歌舞伎) and Bunraku (文楽), highlighting Japan’s unique aesthetic heritage.

Presenter:
Dr. Mariko Anno
Associate Professor, Institute of Science Tokyo

Dr. Anno is a bilingual Japanese American scholar specializing in ethnomusicology. Her work examines traditional Japanese performing arts, including Noh and nohkan flute performance. She holds advanced degrees from Tokyo University of the Arts and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is the author of Piercing the Structure of Tradition: Flute Performance, Continuity, and Freedom in the Music of Noh (Cornell University Press).

Additional Information:
Open to the public. All are welcome.

Date: March 25, 2026
Time: Lecture 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM; Reception 7:30-8:30 (Please RSVP by March 17). Doors open at 5:50 PM
Location: University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, Haas Fine Arts Center, Room 101
Address: 121 Water St., Eau Claire, WI 53703
Admission: Free

Image credit: Noh Mask by Kitazawa Hideta Image © 2025 Kitazawa Sohta