Open Frequencies - Day 1

The annual VNM Festival returns with Open Frequencies, a three-day program spotlighting bold, globally engaged approaches to new music by artists working at the forefront of experimental, interdisciplinary, and cross-cultural sound practices.

 

Kuniko Kato Quartet (Japan)

Pieces of Wood by Steve Reich (1936- )
1973, 9 minutes

Drumming Part 1 by Steve Reich (1936- )
1970-71, 20 minutes

Nagoya Marimbas by Steve Reich (1936- )
1994, 6 minutes

Piano Phase by Steve Reich (1936- )
version for vibraphone, adapted by Kuniko Kato
1967, 15 minutes

Mallet Quartet by Steve Reich (1936- )
2009, 15 minutes 

Kuniko Kato Quartet presents a program celebrating the 90th birthday of legendary minimalist composer Steve Reich, featuring some of his most complex, hypnotic, and beautiful percussion works. 

The performance brings together Kuniko Kato, internationally acclaimed as one of the world’s leading percussion virtuosos, with a handpicked quartet of outstanding Japanese percussionists. Kato is renowned for her visionary artistry, technical precision, profound musicality, and groundbreaking interpretations of contemporary masterworks. As a leading interpreter of Steve Reich’s percussion repertoire, she has received international acclaim for her performances and recordings, including Kuniko Plays Reich (2011) on Linn Records.

For this presentation, Kato is joined by Haruka Aoyagi, Karin Tozaki, Koichi Hosono, and Misaki Matsuno, a new generation of Japanese percussion artists who have been involved in the Steve Reich Project, Kato’s international concert series devoted to meticulously arranged performances of Reich’s minimalist masterpieces. 

This special performance is part of the REICH90 North American Tour, a major celebration of Steve Reich’s 90th birthday across the United States and Canada, presented in Vancouver as part of the VNM Festival 2026.

This evening is dedicated to Frances McGrath in honour of her legacy gift

 

To purchase a Festival Pass for all three nights, please visit: Open Frequencies - Festival Pass

 

Community partnership with:

 

Banner credits:
Kuniko Kato Quartet