UCSB Gagaku Project

Gagaku (literally "elegant music," 雅楽) is the ceremonial music of the Japanese imperial court. As one of the oldest forms of Japanese music, gagaku (literally “elegant music,” 雅楽) includes orchestral music and dances imported and adapted from Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese traditions dating back as early as the fifth century CE. Today, gagaku is officially recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and the Gagaku musicians at the Imperial Court in Tokyo are considered the equivalent of living national treasures. 

The UCSB Gagaku Project gathers together world-renowned Gagaku musicians and international scholars engaged in cutting-edge research on the cultural history of Gagaku, with special focus on the Edo period and the modern era, to teach the world about this rich Japanese musical tradition.