TAKÉ TO ITO
Willits Center for the Arts presents Také to Ito, a concert featuring Curtis Patterson on Japanese koto and Bruce Huebner on shakuhachi flute. Nurtured by respect for Japanese tradition and the aesthetic of wabi-sabi, their musical collaboration, inspired by the beauty in nature, captures the essence of these instruments with both time-honored and modern interpretations. Enjoy this unique offering, along with finger foods and refreshments, in WCA’s beautiful Great Room on Sunday September 27 beginning at 4pm. Tickets are available for $20/each at our front desk, and online at willitscenterforthearts.org.
Concept
Také to Ito – koto master Curtis Patterson and shakuhachi virtuoso Bruce Huebner – have been forging a fresh path for two of Japan’s most iconic instruments since 2003. Drawing on over forty years of study, performance, and teaching in Japan, their music flows freely between classical honkyoku and jiuta, jazz, and original works, at times improvisational and always deeply rooted in tradition while speaking to the present moment. Known in Japan for their annual Sakura Zensen and Momiji-Gari tours as well as their humanitarian work in the wake of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, the duo recently completed an acclaimed Australian tour and will bring their unique sound to the US West Coast in September and October 2026.
Bruce Huebner (shakuhachi)
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.
Curtis Patterson (koto)
Curtis Patterson is an accomplished koto master based in Tokyo who trained with modern luminary Tadao Sawai, holds a master’s license from the prestigious Sawai Koto Institute, and is the first foreigner to graduate from the NHK traditional Japanese music program. International performances have taken him to venues including the main stage at Malaysia’s Rain Forest World Music Festival, and his discography includes solo and collaborative work with various musicians. He maintains an active performance schedule alongside a private teaching studio in Tokyo.
