Join us at the Cultural Corner from 1:15-2:15pm for a free recital and Q&A by Jeffrey Zeigler (Cello) and Andy Akiho (Steel Pan; Composer). They will explore the musical and philosophical themes of Nisei – Akiho’s first cello concerto, which will be premiered by the Oregon Symphony and Jeffrey Zeigler on October 5-7 at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.
The title Nisei takes its name from the first generation of Japanese American children born in the United States. The piece was written by Akiho for Zeigler, who are both half-Japanese. The concerto draws upon the two men’s diverse musical roots and shared cultural lineage: both Akiho and Zeigler have roots in South Carolina and have collaborated artistically for more than a decade. In the piece, Akiho infuses the traditional chamber orchestra with a culmination of his many musical influences over the years: the rhythms of Trinidadian steel pan orchestras and West African drum and dance ensembles, the sounds of the Japanese Koto, the jazz solos of John Coltrane and Miles Davis, and the bold sonic experiments of Zeigler himself. The concerto delivers a deeply personal examination of identity, artistic voice, and the collision of cultures that have shaped both Akiho and Zeigler’s lives. This recital and Q&A will speak to those same themes and influences.
To join the Oregon Symphony concert on October 5-7, use promo code NISEI25 for BOGO tickets and no handling fees.
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Andy Akiho
![](https://wpmedia.japanesegarden.org/cb:An8z.2f0c8/w:175/h:175/q:mauto/ig:avif/id:8b57ba1b20fbea8032c3576fff7a59cd/https://japanesegarden.org/Andy_Akiho_headshot_1080x1080.jpg")
Andy Akiho is a “trailblazing” (Los Angeles Times) Pulitzer Prize finalist and five-time GRAMMY®-nominated composer whose bold works unravel intricate and unexpected patterns while surpassing preconceived boundaries of classical music. Known as “an increasingly in-demand composer” (The New York Times), Akiho has earned international acclaim for his large-scale works that emphasize the natural theatricality of live performance. He is the only composer to be nominated for a GRAMMY® in the Best Contemporary Classical Composition category in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Recent highlights include the world-premiere of a new interdisciplinary work for Omaha Symphony honoring visual artist Jun Kaneko, the world-premiere of a new commission for Imani Winds, and a sold-out run of Akiho’s “Seven Pillars” at Théâtre du Châtelet, choreographed by Benjamin Millepied and performed by Sandbox Percussion and LA Dance Project. Equally at home writing chamber music and symphonies, Akiho is the Oregon Symphony’s 2023-2024 composer-in-residence. His latest work, a concerto written for noted cellist Jeffrey Zeigler, is set to premiere this Fall at Sun Valley Music Festival, with additional performances by the Oregon Symphony, ProMusica, and Bozeman Symphony.
Other recent engagements include commissioned premieres by the New York Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Symphony, China Philharmonic, Guangzhou Symphony, Oregon Symphony Orchestra, American Composers Orchestra, Music@Menlo, LA Dance Project and The Industry.
Akiho has been recognized with many prestigious awards and organizations including the Rome Prize, American Academy of Arts and Letters, Lili Boulanger Memorial Prize, Harvard University Fromm Commission, Barlow Endowment, New Music USA, and Chamber Music America. His compositions have been featured by organizations such as Bang on a Can, American Composers Forum, The Intimacy of Creativity in Hong Kong, and the Heidelberg Festival.
An active steel pannist, Akiho has performed his works with the LA Philharmonic’s Green Umbrella Series, the Berlin Philharmonic’s Scharoun Ensemble, the International Drum Festival in Taiwan, and more. Akiho’s recordings No One To Know One, The War Below, Seven Pillars, Oculus, and Sculptures feature brilliantly crafted compositions inspired by his primary instrument, the steel pan.
As a steel pannist, Akiho has a deeply physical relationship with playing, which extends itself to his compositional output. His voice is further shaped by what has undoubtedly been a nontraditional trajectory as a composer: having spent most of his 20s playing steel pan by ear in Trinidad and New York City, Akiho only began writing music at age 28. Still, these social and musical roots remain foundational. Akiho frequently composes into the wee hours at coffee shops, nightclubs, and restaurants, taking breaks to get to know those around him. Similarly, Akiho develops relationships with his collaborators, as he writes for people, not instruments.
Akiho was born in 1979 in Columbia, SC, and is currently based in Portland, OR and New York City. He is represented by CAMI Music.
Jeffrey Zeigler
Jeffrey Zeigler is one of the most innovative and versatile cellists of our time. Strings
Magazine says Zeigler is “widely known for pushing boundaries and breaking conventions”.
The New York Times has described Zeigler as “fiery”, and a player who performs “with
unforced simplicity and beauty of tone”. Acclaimed for his independent streak, Zeigler has
commissioned dozens of works, and is admired as a potent collaborator and unique
improviser. As a member of the internationally renowned Kronos Quartet from 2005-2013, he is the recipient of the Avery Fisher Prize, the Polar Music Prize, the President’s Merit Award from the National Academy of Recorded Arts (Grammy’s), the Chamber Music America National Service Award and The Asia Society’s Cultural Achievement Award.
Following his tenure with Kronos, his multifaceted career has led to collaborations with a
wide array of artists and innovators such as Laurie Anderson, Philip Glass, Hauschka, Vijay
Iyer, Robin Coste Lewis, Yo-Yo Ma, Julie Mehretu, Siddhartha Mukherjee, Carl Hancock Rux, Foday Musa Suso, and Tanya Tagaq. He has also performed as a soloist with the Los
Angeles Philharmonic, the Toronto Symphony, the Royal Danish Radio Symphony, the New
Century Chamber Orchestra and the Ulster Orchestra under the batons of Peter Oundjian,
JoAnn Falletta, Dennis Russell Davies and Dmitry Sitkovetsky.
Recent concertos written for him include Mark Adamo’s Last Year (at Carnegie Hall with the American Composers Orchestra), Andy Akiho’s Cello Concerto (Sun Valley Music Festival Oregon Symphony, Bozeman Symphony, Columbus ProMusica and South Carolina Philharmonic) and Amy Brandon’s Simulacra (Open Waters Festival, Nova Scotia).
His most recent solo album, Houses of Zodiac, is his first full collaboration with his wife, trailblazing composer Paola Prestini. It is a multimedia experience that combines spoken word, movement, music, and imagery into a unified exploration of love, loss, trauma and healing.
Alongside Paola Prestini, Zeigler is the Co-Artistic Director of VisionIntoArt, a non-profit new music & interdisciplinary arts production company based in New York. He is the Director of the National Sawdust Ensemble of National Sawdust, an artist-led, multidisciplinary new music venue in the heart of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where he sits on the Advisory Board. Additionally, he is a member of the Board of Directors of Chamber Music America and CelloBello and is on the Honorary Committee of the Sphinx Organization. Zeigler teaches cello and chamber music at Mannes School of Music.
