Flutes of Hope, which debuted at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in 2012 and is lead by Ralph Samuelson, is an annual music program paying tribute to the resilience and compassion of the Japanese people following the devastating earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear reactor calamity of March 2011. Now commemorating the sixth anniversary of this unprecedented triple disaster, Flutes of Hope reaches out to the spirits of those lost and honors the selfless dedication of those rebuilding their communities.

This year’s program is inspired by the themes of the Cathedral’s Dignity Initiative and The Christa Project and features poems written by earthquake survivors in Fukushima and neighboring regions.

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS
Ralph Samuelson, shakuhachi
Steve Gorn, bansuri
Elizabeth Brown, shakuhachi and silver ute
Sylvain Leroux, fula ute
Eiko Otake, recitation and dance
Karen Kandel, recitation