Esemble Nipponia (Nihon Ongaku Shudan) was formed in 1964, with leading soloists in its distinguished roster drawn from nearly every important genre of Japanese music. Dedicated to the performance of both traditional music and newly commissioned works written for traditional instruments, the Ensemble Nipponia includes several composers, many of whose works, along with those of other contemporary composers, are presented in the group's concerts. In Japan, the Ensemble Nipponia performs widely, in concert, radio, and television appearances, and it is well known on records on the Nippon Columbia, RCA, and King labels. Since 1972, the Ensemble has toured Europe, Southeast Asia, and Australia. For their first tour of the United States and Canada (1976), six of the group's outstanding soloists were chosen to present a program of both classical and contemporary Japanese music - some of it heard for the first time by Western audiences. This album - the Ensemble Nipponia's first on an American label - was recorded in New York during the tour, which was sponsored by the Performing Arts Program of the Asia Society. Переиздано Landy Star Music, 2002