Nisei (Rental)

Throughout his career, Akiho has written concertos featuring steel pans, ceramic sculptures, and even a pair of ping-pong players. So did it feel conservative to write a concerto for a standard orchestral instrument like the cello? Not at all, the composer
says.

"For me, nothing I write is standard. Writing for the cello was new territory to me, but every piece I write feels like that. I just approach it like a kid, trying to learn as much as I can about the instrument."

The inspiration behind Akiho's latest work is Jeffrey Zeigler, his close friend and collaborator for 11 years. A cellist known for breaking down boundaries between classical and pop music, Zeigler has performed countless world premieres, toured the world as a
member of the cutting-edge Kronos Quartet, and played in rock bands and contemporary music ensembles. But Akiho wasn't looking to incorporate any of those avant-garde aspects of Zeigler's world into his concerto.

"Jeffrey is so innovative in his music-making, using pedals and incorporating electronics, but I wanted us to create a super old-school, OG sound and really focus on the transparency of the music and his incredible playing. I wanted to go somewhere people wouldn't expect either of us to go."

The range of characters we'll encounter in Akiho's new concerto mirrors the versatility Zeigler brings to his work — from executing driving, "super minimalist" rhythms in the first movement to delivering moments of sublime operatic expression in the central movement, which Akiho likens to "the ballad on a rockalbum."

While Akiho and Zeigler's collaborative friendship provided fuel for the composer's concerto, so did notions of memory, nostalgia, and their shared heritage as second-generation Japanese Americans, which the pair didn't discover until years into their friendship.

"The piece represents the strength we've built as two musicians growing and learning from each other and creating music together. I didn't want to take these connections to Japanese culture literally or mimic a particular sound, but they did become a source of
subconscious inspiration."

The shared heritage between Akiho and Zeigler did provide literal inspiration in one regard: the concerto's title, Nisei, is the Japanese term for "second generation."

- Michael Cirigliano II