Events

Time and Location

March 22nd, 7pm (EDT)
Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art (Washington, DC)

Tickets

This special concert is free of charge. Registration now open! Get your tickets here.

About

With the album “Wonderful World” commemorating the 20th anniversary of his debut in Japan, folk singer Naotaro Moriyama has been embarking on his first nationwide anniversary tour. Since June 2022, he has performed 101 concerts in a duration of a year and four months, kicking off his tour at Live House Mandara in Kichijoji, a place that holds fond memories from his indie days, earlier in his career.

The 102nd stop on the tour, his first performance at Ryogoku Kokugikan was announced as the extra leg of the tour. The 103rd stop on the tour will be a performance in Washington, D.C., U.S.A.

He will be performing “Sakura (solo)” with pianist Daisuke Sakurai and the National Children’s Chorus.

This event is co-organized by the Japan Foundation and Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art and sponsored by ANA.

This is part of the 2024 National Cherry Blossom Festival and Naotaro Moriyama will also perform at the opening ceremony on March 23rd, 5pm.

Naotaro Moriyama

Born on April 23rd, 1976, in Tokyo. Mr. Moriyama is a folk singer and songwriter. He made his professional debut in October 2002 through a mini album titled “Dried Songs are the Best Foods to Feed Fishes”. Since then, the originality of his point of view as well as his unique vocalization have been well praised by all generations of music lovers. He never stopped releasing new albums and actively touring around nationwide. In recent years, he has also expanded his activities including acting, making appearances in NHK Saturday dramas such as “Kokoro no Kizu wo Iyasu to Iu Koto” and NHK’s serial TV novel “Yell”, for which he was highly praised for his acting ability. Mr. Moriyama released his 20th Anniversary album “Wonderful World” in March 2022. Starting in June of the same year, he embarked on his 20th Anniversary Tour titled “Wonderful World”, which was also called “100 Tours in Japan”. He concluded the tour in October 2023, but now an “extra” portion of the tour is underway. His most recent tour, “Wonderful World” in Ryogoku Kokugikan, is scheduled to be held on March 16, 2024.

In January 2023, he released his first acoustic album “Original Painting I” and “Original Painting II”. He also released “Samoarinan (There You Are and Here It Comes)” which is the theme song for the movie “Lost Care” released in theaters in March. In October, the “Wonderful World” tour will have its final performance at NHK Hall in Tokyo. He was also commissioned for the theme song of animated TV series by Moyoko Anno titled “Ochibisan”; whose broadcasting started in October 2023. It is scheduled to be released on January 31, 2024, along with an analog release of this work on February 28 of the same year.

The National Children’s Chorus
The GRAMMY® Award-winning National Children’s Chorus (NCC) and Artistic Director Luke McEndarfer comprise one of the world’s leading children’s choirs, with a set of 32 ensembles, serving more than 1,100 students around the country, based in the chapter cities of Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Austin, Dallas, Boston, Chicago and right here in Washington, D.C.! Performing locally and abroad, with appearances at the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall, the National Children’s Chorus and its stellar team of music professionals strive to provide an unparalleled educational experience for children who love to sing. Members of the NCC’s Washington, D.C. Chapter, under the direction of Principal Conductor Dr. Allan Laiño, join us for this exciting collaboration with Naotaro Moriyama to open the 2024 National Cherry Blossom Festival.