October 1, 2026: Host Christa Wessel welcomes Curtis Patterson, koto and Bruce Huebner, shakuhachito; and Renegade Opera the Irving Levin Performance Hall.

Inspired by the beauty in nature and capturing the essence of shakuhachi – také / bamboo and koto – ito /strings, Curtis Patterson and Bruce Huebner forge a fresh musical path for two of Japan’s most iconic instruments. Then, Renegade Opera shares an exclusive preview of their production of The Raven, based on Edgar Allan Poe’s poem of the same name.

Tune in Thursday at 3:00 PM PT at 89.9 FM in Portland, OR or from anywhere in the world on our website.

ABOUT

Curtis Patterson is a Tokyo-based koto master who trained with modern luminary Tadao Sawai, holds a master’s license from the Sawai Koto Institute, and is the first foreigner to graduate from the NHK traditional Japanese music program. His international performances have taken him to the main stage at Malaysia’s Rainforest World Music Festival and the Kennedy Center. A passionate advocate for the koto’s expressive possibilities, he maintains a varied performance schedule alongside a teaching studio in Tokyo.

Keep reading at curtkoto.com.

Japan-based Californian Bruce Huebner is a globally recognized shakuhachi master who made history in 1993 as the first non-Japanese graduate of the Traditional Japanese Music Department at the Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music, where he studied under National Treasure Yamaguchi Goro. A fluent bilingual clinician and recording artist, he has performed at prestigious venues worldwide and maintains an active schedule across Japan and abroad with multiple ensembles and solo projects.

Learn more at shakuhachibruce.net.

Renegade Opera creates thought-provoking and intimate musical performances that engage audiences and multifaceted artists, reclaiming narrative power for the traditionally underrepresented and championing institutional reform in opera.

Renegade Opera was founded in January 2020 by Madeline Ross, Danielle Jagelski, and Elliot Menard in order to make work that reflected their values as artists, advocates, and activists.

Keep reading at renegadeopera.org.