Mu honors two (Apr08)

What: First annual Award for Achievement in Asian American Performing Arts, presented by Mu Performing Arts and Ellerbe Becket
Who: Iris Shiraishi and David Henry Hwang (biographies and contact information below)
When: April 7, 2008 at 7 pm
Where: MacPhail Center for Music (501 South 2nd Street, Minneapolis)

(Minneapolis – March 19, 2008) Mu Performing Arts and sponsoring architectural and engineering firm Ellerbe Becket will present the first annual Award for Achievement in Asian American Performing Arts to Japanese taiko drumming artist Iris Shiraishi and renowned Tony Award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang on April 7 at the new MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis. The presentation coincides with the Mu Performing Arts 2008 Gala benefit.

The award, conceived by Mu artistic director Rick Shiomi, will honor one local and one national Asian American artist each year for his or her accomplishment in and contribution to the arts. “It is a way for Mu Performing Arts to recognize those artists who have had a significant impact,” Shiomi explains. “Their work has benefited not only Asian Americans, but all Americans.” The first recipients of the Award for Achievement represent both the theatrical and musical poles of Mu’s creative energy.

Shiomi credits Twin Cities taiko artist Iris Shiraishi for “spreading the gospel of taiko” for over a decade through her work as a performer, instructor, and composer. “Iris has brought incredible energy and devotion to the taiko in Minnesota and her impact has been clear and powerful. There are literally thousands of kids and adults who have benefited from her work.” A member of Mu’s own ensemble Mu Daiko and the head of the company’s taiko programs, Shiraishi is a leading resource for taiko education and outreach throughout the region. She is also the composer of several award-winning compositions, consistently pushing the boundaries of taiko performance and repertoire.

Like Shiraishi, renowned playwright David Henry Hwang was a natural choice for the inaugural award. As Shiomi states, “If there is anyone whose name is synonymous with the success of Asian American theater in the past three decades, it is David Hwang.” His acclaimed works, including FOB, The Dance and the Railroad, M. Butterfly, and his most recent play Yellowface, bring the experience of Asian Americans to a national audience. Hwang has also been an avid supporter of Asian Americans in the arts, having both served on the advisory board for Mu and assisted in the early development stages for the company’s first musical, Walleye Kid: The Musical, which was lately remounted at Ordway Center’s McKnight Theatre.

Both Shiraishi and Hwang will be in attendance to receive the Award for Achievement.

The Mu Performing Arts Gala is April 7, with catering and a silent auction beginning at 6 pm and a performance program beginning at 7 pm. Tickets are $35 in advance, $45 at the door, and may be purchased by phone at 612-824-4804 or online at www.muperformingarts.org.

About the Honorees

Iris Shiraishi
Iris Shiraishi had no inkling that her first taiko class with Rick Shiomi in 1997 would change her life. She has been a member of Mu Daiko since its inception and has been lucky enough to study not only with Rick, but with taiko luminaries Kenny Endo, Chieko Kojima and Tosha Kiyonari among others, and fue/flute masters Kaoru Watanabe, Immanuel Davis and the late Masakazu Yoshizawa. Iris joined the Mu staff in 2002, and is currently its Taiko Programs Coordinator and a Core Artistic Group member. She received her Ph.D. in Music from the University of Minnesota along with degrees in Arts Administration/Music Composition from the University of Iowa and Music Composition from the University of Hawaii.

To contact Iris Shiraishi, call 612-824-4804 or e-mail iris@muperformingarts.org.

David Henry Hwang
David Henry Hwang is a contemporary American playwright who has risen to prominence as the preeminent Asian American dramatist in the U.S. He was born in Los Angeles, California and educated at Stanford University and Yale School of Drama. Mr. Hwang’s body of work includes the Obie Award-winning FOB, the Pulitzer Prize-nominated drama, The Dance and the Railroad and M. Butterfly, for which he won a Tony Award, the Drama Desk Award, the John Gassner Award, and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Play.

For information on contacting David Henry Hwang, please contact Stacey Peterson or Rick Shiomi in the the Mu Performing Arts office at 612-824-4804.

Questions? Email



	Mu Performing Arts honors taiko artist Iris Shiraishi and playwright David Henry Hwang What: First annual Award for Achievement in Asian American Performing Arts, presented by Mu Performing Arts and Ellerbe Becket Who: Iris Shiraishi and David Henry Hwang (biographies and contact information below) When: April 7, 2008 at 7 pm Where: MacPhail Center for Music (501 South 2nd Street, Minneapolis) (Minneapolis – March 19, 2008) Mu Performing Arts and sponsoring architectural and engineering firm Ellerbe Becket will present the first annual Award for Achievement in Asian American Performing Arts to Japanese taiko drumming artist Iris Shiraishi and renowned Tony Award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang on April 7 at the new MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis. The presentation coincides with the Mu Performing Arts 2008 Gala benefit. The award, conceived by Mu artistic director Rick Shiomi, will honor one local and one national Asian American artist each year for his or her accomplishment in and contribution to the arts. “It is a way for Mu Performing Arts to recognize those artists who have had a significant impact,” Shiomi explains. “Their work has benefited not only Asian Americans, but all Americans.” The first recipients of the Award for Achievement represent both the theatrical and musical poles of Mu’s creative energy. Shiomi credits Twin Cities taiko artist Iris Shiraishi for “spreading the gospel of taiko” for over a decade through her work as a performer, instructor, and composer. “Iris has brought incredible energy and devotion to the taiko in Minnesota and her impact has been clear and powerful. There are literally thousands of kids and adults who have benefited from her work.” A member of Mu’s own ensemble Mu Daiko and the head of the company’s taiko programs, Shiraishi is a leading resource for taiko education and outreach throughout the region. She is also the composer of several award-winning compositions, consistently pushing the boundaries of taiko performance and repertoire. Like Shiraishi, renowned playwright David Henry Hwang was a natural choice for the inaugural award. As Shiomi states, “If there is anyone whose name is synonymous with the success of Asian American theater in the past three decades, it is David Hwang.” His acclaimed works, including FOB, The Dance and the Railroad, M. Butterfly, and his most recent play Yellowface, bring the experience of Asian Americans to a national audience. Hwang has also been an avid supporter of Asian Americans in the arts, having both served on the advisory board for Mu and assisted in the early development stages for the company’s first musical, Walleye Kid: The Musical, which was lately remounted at Ordway Center’s McKnight Theatre. Both Shiraishi and Hwang will be in attendance to receive the Award for Achievement. The Mu Performing Arts Gala is April 7, with catering and a silent auction beginning at 6 pm and a performance program beginning at 7 pm. Tickets are $35 in advance, $45 at the door, and may be purchased by phone at 612-824-4804 or online at www.muperformingarts.org. About the Honorees Iris Shiraishi Iris Shiraishi had no inkling that her first taiko class with Rick Shiomi in 1997 would change her life. She has been a member of Mu Daiko since its inception and has been lucky enough to study not only with Rick, but with taiko luminaries Kenny Endo, Chieko Kojima and Tosha Kiyonari among others, and fue/flute masters Kaoru Watanabe, Immanuel Davis and the late Masakazu Yoshizawa. Iris joined the Mu staff in 2002, and is currently its Taiko Programs Coordinator and a Core Artistic Group member. She received her Ph.D. in Music from the University of Minnesota along with degrees in Arts Administration/Music Composition from the University of Iowa and Music Composition from the University of Hawaii. To contact Iris Shiraishi, call 612-824-4804 or e-mail iris@muperformingarts.org. David Henry Hwang David Henry Hwang is a contemporary American playwright who has risen to prominence as the preeminent Asian American dramatist in the U.S. He was born in Los Angeles, California and educated at Stanford University and Yale School of Drama. Mr. Hwang’s body of work includes the Obie Award-winning FOB, the Pulitzer Prize-nominated drama, The Dance and the Railroad and M. Butterfly, for which he won a Tony Award, the Drama Desk Award, the John Gassner Award, and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Play. For information on contacting David Henry Hwang, please contact Stacey Peterson or Rick Shiomi in the the Mu Performing Arts office at 612-824-4804. Home \| News \| Calendar \| Directory \| Plays \| Library/Storefront \| Timeline Copyright 2008, Roger W. Tang Questions? Email

Mu Performing Arts honors taiko artist Iris Shiraishi and playwright David Henry Hwang