Kent Nagano and musicians from Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg join mezzo-soprano Mihoko Fujimura and the Yamamoto Noh Theatre Group for a special project, Spirit of the Moon. The production combines a Noh piece based on the Japanese folk tale Moon Rabbit with Arnold Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire. Performances take place on the 20 and 21 June at Konzerthaus Blaibach, and 23 June at the Muffathalle in Munich.

“The special celebration of Tsukimi (moon festival) is one which has a certain relevance for rural communities throughout most Asian cultures. As a young child on our farm on the Northern Pacific coastline, even I was introduced to Tsukimi (moon festival) and the story of ​“the Rabbit in the Moon” when every autumn my grandmother would take us children outside at night to marvel at the harvest moon and tell us the stories of the selfless rabbit who sacrificed its life for the Spirit, disguised as an old man. 

Just as in the past, the moon will retain its special significance in the future, inspire the youth of next generations and reflect the eternal relevance of sharing Tsukimi (moon festival) and Pierrot Lunaire through the theatre arts”. 

- Kent Nagano, 2025