Performance History

Performance History

2019
Cowra Multicultural Festival (NSW)
Moomba Festival, Parade (VIC)
Run for The Kids (VIC)
Rites of Passage Tattoo Festival at Melbourne Exhibition Building (VIC)
Woodend Winter Arts Festival (VIC)
Snow Festival in Warragul (VIC)
Mt Buller Village Snow Music Event (VIC)
Mt Baw Baw Snow Festival (VIC)
Melbourne Storm Multicultural Event at AAMI Park (VIC)
Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival in Crown (VIC)
Cowra Sakura Festival (NSW)
Montsalvat Arts Festival (VIC)
Canberra Nara Candle Festival (ACT)
Art Gallery in Sydney (NSW)
Richmond F.C. Home games at MCG (VIC)

2018
T20 Cricket Match at MCG (VIC)
Summer Festival at Federation Square (VIC)
Globe to Globe World Music Festival (VIC)
Lunar New Year in Queen Victoria Market (VIC)
AFL Season Launch (VIC)
Run for The Kids (VIC)
Mt Buller Village Stage Snow Music Event (VIC)
Mt Baw Baw Snow Festival (VIC)
Wellness Walk with Olivia Newton John (VIC)
Cowra Sakura Festival (NSW)
Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival in Crown (VIC)
Djerriwarrh Bon Fire Festival in Melton (VIC)
World Cup of Golf (VIC)
National Gallery Victoria (VIC)
Dandenong City Council Count down event (VIC)
Richmond F.C. Home games at MCG (VIC)

2017
Movie AKIRA Sound track
Lunar Festival in Springvale (VIC)
Flemington Race Day (VIC)
Summer Festival at Federation Square (VIC)
Melanoma March (VIC)
Glenferrie Street Festival (VIC)
Relay for Life in Hawthorn (VIC)
University of Melbourne 100th Anniversary Event (VIC)
Sister City Festival in Traralgon, La Trobe City Council (VIC)
Melbourne Storm match at AAMI Park (VIC)
Mt Buller Village Stage Snow Music Event (VIC) 
Footy Show (VIC)
Funfields Theme Park (VIC)
Djerriwarrh Bon Fire Festival in Melton (VIC)
RMIT Graduation Ceremony at Etihad Stadium (VIC)
Richmond F.C. Home games at MCG (VIC)

2016
Australian Open Tennis for Kids (VIC)
Melbourne Victory match at Etihad Stadium (VIC)
Latrobe City Council Japan Festival (VIC)
Moomba Festival (VIC)
Frankston and Susono Japan Festival (VIC)
Como Gardens Open Day (VIC)
TONGA and FIJI Tour (VIC)
Gold Coast Taiko Festival (VIC)
Mt Buller Village Stage Snow Music Event (VIC)
Olympic Event in Bourke Street (VIC)
Jack Dyer Medal Gala Dinner (VIC)
Wodonga Children Fair (VIC)
International Netball Game at Hisense Arena (VIC)
Federation Square Festival (VIC)
RMIT Graduation Ceremony at Etihad Stadium (VIC)
Richmond F.C. Home games at MCG (VIC)

Annual Concerts
Every December, Wadaiko Rindo students participate in the annual concert event. They prepare throughout the year over the course of four terms. The efforts and progress of the students are on display at this annual event, as Wadaiko Rindo is joined by illustrious and talented guest performers to make for an entertaining few hours.

SUMMARY OF A SELECTION OF PAST CONCERTS

2008
Saturday 13 & Sunday 14 December
Performing Arts Centre, Our Lady of Mercy College, Heidelberg

This year’s concert took on a dramatic approach, resulting in the “Taiko Master”. It showcased Steven playing a comic role of a Taiko Master instructing a taiko class. The master is very loud and proud, but he is actually not a very good taiko player.The talents of the Taiko Master’s students, played by the Thursday class students, were displayed within this classroom scenario. A surprise ending that revealed a quick flash of “fundoshi” (loincloth) received much audience response.

“The Goblin Forge” saw Melissa enact a goblin, a “Tenaga Onna” (long armed woman), utilizing two black screens and some fun performances from the other two guys Alex and Nick playing the goblins (or parts thereof).

The audience was also treated to the first performance by “FueFukuro”, a “shinobue” (Japanese bamboo flute) ensemble. Enchanted by Tao’s performance, the players formed the group and performed for this audience an original piece “Hiryu”, resplendent in their hand-made costumes.

Guests: Yomei Nakajima (Shakuhachi), Anne Norman (Shakuhachi), Masami Sato Ballet School, Shamys (Tsugaru Shamisen)

2007
Friday 7 & Sat 8 December
St Phillips Anglican Church Hall

This time the concerts were held, for the first time, at the practice hall, where a stage was especially installed. The concerts had a more intimate feel because of the minimized distance between the performers and the audience.

The three shows consisted of the same pieces being performed by the different classes, which enabled students to observe and learn from how others played the same pieces. Guests included the Tsugaru Shamisen group Shamys with Noriko Tadano leading, Miya Kato leading the Minyo dancers, and also Shakuhachi player Yomei Nakajima, who flew in all the way from Brisbane for a 2 hour performance.

2006
Sat 9 & Sun 10 December
MLC, John Tatoulis Auditorium

Mr Munetaka Umehara, a researcher of traditional Japanese arts, was invited as supervisor, and the training of the ‘Iwate Sansa’ dance begun in July. It was quite a task getting 40 costumes ready for the performance, as was dressing the Aussie people, it was said! The white Kabuki make-up in the new piece ‘Youkai no Kajiba’ (The Goblin Forge) scared some children to tears.

Guests: Munetaka Umehara (choreography, Japanese flute), The Azuki Beanz (song and dance), Shinzo Nozao & Fumihiro Ueoka (calligraphy, painting), Noriko Tadano & The Shamys (Tsugaru Shamisen), Anne Norman (shakuhachi)

2005
Sat 10 & Sun 11 December
MLC, John Tatoulis Auditorium

The 10th anniversary of the taiko classes concert. The program was the same over two days, but the first day was a preview. A medley combining the taiko pieces over 10 years was performed. During ‘Yatai Bayashi’, the lantern holders in the background stood still for an entire 10 minutes of the performance. As ‘Nanchu Soran’ was performed in the finale, the students danced the ‘Bon Odori’. For the first time, slides were used at the end of the show. For this occasion a very special guest, Minyo singer Mr Toyoshige Tadano arrived from Japan.

Guests: Noriko Tadano (Tsugaru Shamisen) & Toyoshige Tadano (Minyo), Masami Sato (ballet, choreography), Shinzo Nozao (calligraphy), Anne Norman (shakuhachi)

2004
Sat 11 & Sun 12 December
Union Theatre, University of Melbourne

A humorous piece composed at the Taiko camp, ‘Athens Olympics’, combined sports-event choreography within the taiko piece, and received much laughter and applause from the audience. ‘Getap’, a piece that won Melbourne Fringe Festival’s music prize, was re-performed. For the first time, the students numbering close to 70, were split into two groups and performed two different programs over two days. The finale was the now standard ‘Umi Medley’.

Guests: Yukiko Kikuto (koto), Amanda Fairs (flute), Anne Norman (shakuhachi)

2003
Sat 13 December
Union Theatre, University of Melbourne

Brisbane taiko player Motoyuki Niwa performed a dynamic solo piece. Accompanying the piece ‘Kokuryu’ was a large hand crafted dragon made by students. The audience was somewhat dumbfounded by a strange piece called ‘CC Taiso’, but the people on stage enjoyed performing the dance. The finale was ‘Akebono ’03’.

Guest: Motoyuki Niwa (taiko), Yukiko Kikuto & Co (koto), Academy of Mary Immaculate (dance).

2002
Sun 8 December
Melba Hall, University of Melbourne

Concert returns to Melba Hall. A jam with Andrew, a rock drummer and Peter, a didjeridoo player, combined with taiko was a new experiment. ‘Takaburi’, an energetic student piece, combined juggling and acrobatic movements – there was much appreciative applause when the ‘bachi’ was thrown high in the air and caught successfully.

Guest: Anne Norman (shakuhachi), Academy of Mary Immaculate (dance), Peter Lamshed (didjeridoo), Andrew Band (drum, guitar, bass guitar)

2001
Sat 8 December
Union Theatre, University of Melbourne

To use some effective lighting, the concert moved to Union Theatre. Smoke machines, spotlights and coloured lights were used to decorate the stage, but there were claims that some lights shone too brightly towards the audience. The sound was overtaken by the dramatic theatrics. The finale saw performers perform solos in pairs on centre stage.

Guest: Anne Norman

2000
Sun 10 December
Melba Hall, University of Melbourne

The second time at Melba Hall sees a more relaxed preparation. Costumes ranged from t-shirts to hand made blue and black ‘happi’ coats. The cute performance by the Waverley Meadows Primary School was a highlight. The finale was a combination of an orthodox ‘Soran Bushi’ by Anne Norman on Shakuhachi, and an original arrangement by Wadaiko Rindo.

Guests: Anne Norman, Don Don Daiko (Waverley Meadows PS)

1999
Sun 10 December
Melba Hall, University of Melbourne

The first big concert. From performing to families and friends, this was the first step into performing for a general audience. Traditional song ‘Soran Bushi’ was performed by one of the students, Junko Okita, accompanied by Andrew McGregor’s shakuhachi students. The final song ‘Yama Kudari’ was a combination of Japanese flute, Mark on tronbone, and an unexpected ukulele accompaniment.

Guests: Murasaki Daiko, Andrew McGregor (shakuhachi) & his students

1998
Sat 5 December
RSL Hall

The 3rd year marked the first official concert. Performed wearing official T-shirts. Entry was free, but donations collected amounted to $90. The venue had no changing rooms, so the hallway was the makeshift changing room.

Guests: Murasaki Daiko, Andrew McGregor, Anne Norman

1997
Fri 17 October
Presbyterian Church

As the previous year, the Rindo Taiko Preservation Group arrived down under and performed together. The Wadaiko Rindo students opened the show.

1996
Sat 16 November
St Johns Church

Joint concert with the Kumamoto Rindo Taiko Conservation Group. There were 2 groups of 8 students, and 2 pieces performed at the opening. As it was their first performance, the students were nervous.