Kao Duo Stages Free July 9 Studio Ghibli Concert in Reno
Updated
Updated · KUNR Public Radio · Jul 6
Kao Duo Stages Free July 9 Studio Ghibli Concert in Reno
1 articles · Updated · KUNR Public Radio · Jul 6
Summary
Madalyn and Eric Kao will present "Studio Ghibli in Concert" at 7 p.m. on July 9 at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Reno, with free admission.
The program grew from the couple's shared love of Hayao Miyazaki films and Joe Hisaishi's scores, which deepened after they exchanged Ghibli sheet music and performed a private recital for their fifth wedding anniversary.
COVID-era burnout also shaped the project: Eric Kao said studying Hisaishi's film music during that period renewed his musical inspiration and pushed the pair to expand the recital for a public audience.
Two violinists — Brian Fox and Claire Tatman — will join the duo for string quartets drawn from favorite films including works associated with Totoro, Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle.
For Madalyn Kao, a fourth-generation Japanese American, the concert also reflects a cultural connection, as Studio Ghibli was her first exposure to anime, manga and broader Japanese art forms.