Professor of Percussion Ayano Kataoka Delivers Distinguished Faculty Lecture with Live Performance to Packed Audience

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It was a full house for Professor of Percussion Ayano Kataoka as she delivered "The Rhythm of Change" on Feb. 29 as part of the 2023-24 Distinguished Faculty Lecture Series. At the event, which was attended by Chancellor Javier Reyes; Provost Mike Malone; and HFA Dean Joye Bowman, Kataoka was also presented with the Chancellor’s Medal, the highest recognition bestowed upon faculty by the campus. View photos.

In the three-part lecture, percussionist and marimbist Kataoka dove into a personal and historical exploration of percussion music in Japan, with emphasis on the marimba, Japanese culture, and the influence of Keiko Abe. Listeners then learned the role of the percussionist as actress, paying close attention to the intersection of theater, music, and visuality in performance. 

The discussion concluded with a look at the evolution of percussion as an exemplar of world culture, with Professor Kataoka showing how innovations in the expression of timbre, rhythm, and physicality are pushing music in dynamic new directions. To illustrate the performance of music, each section showcased the works of Keiko Abe, Stuart Saunders Smith, and Iannis Xenakis.

Kataoka was introduced by Bowman, who had this to say about her successful career:

A native of Japan, Professor Kataoka began her marimba studies at age five and percussion at fifteen. She started her performing career as a marimbist with a tour of China at the age of nine.  

Educated at Tokyo University of the Arts, The Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins University, and the Yale University School of Music, she joined the Department of Music and Dance in 2008 as a Lecturer. She quickly ascended to Professor of Percussion, teaching students in music education and percussion performance; directing and coaching percussion ensembles and chamber groups; leading student recitals; and more. 

In the classroom, Professor Kataoka challenges her students so that they can play inspiring repertoire, while also caring for each of her students as individuals—an ethic she says was instilled in her by her first marimba teacher in Japan.   

She has also made significant contributions across the university through her interdisciplinary collaboration and social justice advocacy: 

In 2011, she organized a benefit concert for the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief.  

In 2019, she collaborated with faculty in the Department of Architecture and the College of Engineering on a solo performance and panel discussion combining music and math, during which she expertly led her audience through different methods of notating percussion music. 

In 2022, she collaborated as co-artistic director with faculty from the UMass Dance Program on “Elements: Movement and Sound.” The full-length show featured 12 percussionists and 15 dancers performing together at the University Museum of Contemporary Art. It was one of the first post-pandemic shows held on campus, and percussion and dance students celebrated the illuminating results of working together across their disciplines. 

In addition to her work at UMass, Professor Kataoka is a virtuoso percussionist and marimbist of international renown. As a dedicated advocate for contemporary repertoire, her performances often incorporate diverse elements such as spoken word, singing, acting, and innovative props, showcasing her multifaceted artistry. 

She has performed in the world premieres of over thirty works, many written specifically for her. These performances have taken her to prestigious venues to play with the world’s best musicians and composers, including with the beloved cellist Yo-Yo Ma. 

In 2006, Professor Kataoka was selected as the inaugural percussionist for The Bowers Program, a showcase of young talent hosted by the most prestigious chamber music program in the country: the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in New York City.  

Since then, she has been on the Chamber Music Society’s roster of annual performers, regularly appearing as a featured artist. Her talent was even showcased by the Chamber's Artist Series in a retrospective look at her work, including stunning performances and interviews on her early life and influences. 

Since 2013, Professor Kataoka has extensively toured in the U.S. and Mexico as a percussionist for Cuatro Corridos, a chamber opera led by Grammy Award-winning soprano Susan Narucki and noted Mexican author Jorge Volpi. Their performances address human trafficking across the U.S.-Mexican border, and the group earned a 2017 Latin Grammy Nomination for its work. 

Media outlets such as the New York Times have praised Professor Kataoka’s mastery of instruments, her stunning ability to transfix audiences, and a performance style that has been called a “dance” and an “invitation,” “balletic” and “alluring.” 

Established in 1974, the annual Distinguished Faculty Lecture is dedicated to acknowledging the work of our most esteemed and accomplished faculty members. The lecture series not only honors individual faculty members and their achievements, but also celebrates the values of academic excellence that we share as a community. Each honoree is presented with the Chancellor’s Medal, the highest recognition bestowed upon faculty by the campus.