Events 2008-2009 - Please check back for updated information.

September 30th, 7:00-9:00 p.m.

Yoko Hiraoka
Stories from the Tale of Heike performed and sung by Yoko Hiraoka
Emory Performing Arts Center

The Biwa is an ancient lute-like string instrument from Japan which has been used for centuries to recount stories from medieval times with themes of love, hardship, epic battles and the evanescence of life.

Many of these stories are collected together in ‘The Tale of Heike’ an account of the amours, battles and tragedies suffered by two warring clans, the Minamoto and Taira clans of 12th century Japan. The influence of these stories on Japanese culture can be seen even today, in contemporary anime themes.

This beautiful musical and academic event is illustrated with projected images of scenes from the Tale of Heike. Yoko performs four of the classic biwa compositions. In this way she is bringing to life the Tale as it has been done for centuries, with singing voice and a dynamic and expressive biwa accompaniment.

Librettos of all the sung pieces are provided to audiences in both English and phonetic Japanese.

Yoko Hiraoka is a senior master performer of Biwa, Koto, Shamisen and Jiuta voice. She is a native of Kyoto, Japan and studied classical koto and shamisen music from an early age. She has been studying and performing Chikuzen 5-string Biwa for most of her professional life.

November 16, 2008-April 26, 2009

The First Emperor - China's Terracotta Army

The East Asian Studies Program is very pleased to be a sponsor of this exhibit at The High Museum of Art. The First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army is inspired by one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the 20th century. The exhibition includes complete terracotta warrior figures and represents one of the most important groups of works relating to the First Emperor ever to be loaned to the U.S.

The famed terracotta army was initially discovered in 1974. In recent years, ongoing excavations have revealed that the army stood guard over a vast underground palace of far greater complexity than was previously assumed. The exhibitions will present both iconic and recently discovered examples including warriors from the terracotta army, court officials, acrobats, musicians, terracotta chariot horses, and bronze water birds discovered beside the complex's underground river.

Visit the website at The High Museum of Art for more information and updates on events and exhibition details.


January 16-18, 2009

48th SECAAS Annual Meeting
Emory Conference Center

The Southeast Conference of the Asocciation for Asian Studies (SEC/AAS) is a non- political, non-profit scholarly organization dedicated to promoting the study of Asia in the southeastern region of the United States. To that end, SEC/AAS has held (since 1962) an annual three-day conference featuring scholarly panels, teacher workshops, and book exhibits. The year 2009 meeting of the SEC/AAS, sponsored by Emory University, will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, during the weekend of January 16-18, 2009. All those interested are encouraged to join the SEC/AAS and attend the meeting. Information concerning the meeting can be found throughout this website.