The distinct blend of koto and harp comes to Pasadena Saturday evening, as harpist Hitomi Suzuki and koto player Saeko Kujiraoka perform at Takuya Japanese Restaurant, 694 E. Colorado Blvd. The pair will play two 30-minute outdoor shows at 6 and 7 p.m.
Kujiraoka received an advanced degree in koto, sangen, and classical singing from the Michio Miyagi School of Koto in Japan before relocating to Los Angeles, where she teaches as well as performs. She has been involved in a wide range of musical projects, including lending her skills to movie projects such as “Kung Fu Panda.”
Growing up in a musical family in Kyoto, Suzuki delved into piano at the age of five and two years later discovered the harp. After living in Helsinki, Finland, she moved to Los Angeles where she found a wealth of influences to shape her music and where she connected with Kujiraoka
The duo has recently released the album “Harp & Koto Stories,” available now through their website www.harpandkoto.com and at iTunes.
Saturday’s performance will feature western and Asian selections as well as songs from their CD, copies of which will be available at Takuya.