Newman Center Presents

Intoxicating pulses. Organic patterns. Having performed in more than 50 countries, Japan’s Kodo bring their “visual sound” and taiko drums to the Newman Center for two “must feel” performances. In Japanese, the word “kodo” means both “heartbeat” and “children of the drum.” The impressive taiko drums are a sight to see and hear.  

Part of the Director’s Choice 5 & 9 packages on sale now
Individual tickets on sale now

Since the group’s debut in 1981, Kodo has given over 6,500 performances in 52 countries on five continents. This figure includes 4,000 performances under the “One Earth” banner, a theme that embodies Kodo’s desire to transcend language and cultural boundaries. In addition to its performance schedule, Kodo enjoys working with thousands of school children across Japan through its ongoing “School Workshop Performance” tours. The ensemble also participates in a wide range of projects and events, which includes headlining major international festivals, contributing to motion picture soundtracks, and collaborating with a wide variety of global performing arts leaders.   

In 2001, members of Kodo became the first Japanese artists to perform at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway. The following year, Kodo was featured in the official anthem of the 2002 FIFA World Cup KOREA/JAPAN™ and performed live at official World Cup concerts. Then in 2003, worldwide acclaim for the Chinese movie “HERO” drew even more attention to Kodo for its work on the motion picture soundtrack. 

“Superlatives don’t really exist to convey the primal power and bravura beauty of Kodo.” – Chicago Tribune