Pauline Adamek
TAIKOPROJECT has announced their 25th Anniversary Celebration set for Saturday, July 19 at 7:00 PM at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Purchase tickets here.
The evening will feature performances by Grammy Award-winning rock band Quetzal and acclaimed shamisen and koto artist Sumie Kaneko, joining TAIKOPROJECT for a dynamic and memorable event. The concert will showcase TAIKOPROJECT’s signature fusion of traditional and contemporary American taiko, performed with an array of authentic Japanese drums, koto (Japanese harp), marimba, vocals, and shinobue (bamboo flute). This milestone event will also mark the release of two new recordings: their fourth studio album, “25,” and “Concrete Saplings,” a collaborative EP with Quetzal. In addition to new works, the ensemble will revisit rarely-performed pieces from past collaborations with renowned KODO artists Ryutaro Kaneko and Chieko Kojima.
TAIKOPROJECT was founded in 2000 in Los Angeles, California by a group of young, emerging taiko drummers led by Bryan Yamami and Masato Baba. The group continues to define a modern American style of taiko, blending traditional forms with an innovative and fresh aesthetic. TAIKOPROJECT is noteworthy for defining a modern American style of Taiko and bringing Taiko drumming to a large American audience over the years.
TAIKOPROJECT became the first American Taiko group to win the prestigious Tokyo International Taiko Contest in 2005, besting all of the Japanese Taiko groups. They were then brought to huge attention in a Mitsubishi Eclipse commercial, the first and only national advertising campaign to prominently feature Taiko. Later they became even more famous from both Nike and Target commercials.
Since then they have been one of the most popular and important grown in Los Angeles nationally touring performing arts groups
Early on, Yamami struck an important partnership, with the Asano Taiko Company — for more than four centuries one of Japan’s two major Taiko drum makers. As a result, Asano Taiko has been building all of TAIKOPROJECT’s drums since its early days – and their drums gave their performance authenticity.
They have performing on the Oscars, GRAMMY® Awards, the MTV Awards, NBC’s “The Voice,” Syfy’s “Face/Off,” “The X-Factor,” “Conan,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” “The Late, Late Show with James Corden,” Food Network’s “Iron Chef Gauntlet,“ and rock band 30 Seconds to Mars’ “Up in the Air.”
The group also has performed and recorded with musical superstars such as Stevie Wonder, Peter Gabriel, Hans Zimmer, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Squeak E. Clean, Sean Paul, Diplo, as well as international stars such as Greek singer Antonis Remos, Persian singer Mansour, Brazil’s Olodum, and Netherlands’ Tiesto.
In 2021, the Ford Foundation, in association with the J. Paul Getty Trust and the California Community Foundation, recognized TAIKOPROJECT as one of “America’s Cultural Treasures.” The group was honored with the prestigious Visionary Award from East West Players in 2012.
And they are one of the mainstays of Music Center on tour, performing for students and local community in as many as 100 concerts annually, as well as teaching the next generation of drummers.
You won’t want to miss this celebratory evening with one of Los Angeles most beloved performing arts companies!
TAIKOPROJECT
25th Anniversary Celebration
Saturday, July 19, 2025
7:00 PM
Walt Disney Concert Hall
135 N. Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 972-7211
