Cultural Preservation Through Artistic Practice

Provides support for programs focused on sustaining and applying the craft of painted finishes in contemporary contexts.

Provides preservation and strengthening support to artisans in New York City through direct engagement and services.

Commissions and premieres new compositions by Japanese and American composers as part of its concert and festival programming, with a history of over 100 commissions and 109 world premieres presented since inception.

Established in 1994, the Resource Center features a custom-designed composer database and a collection of source materials to support research and appreciation of Japanese music.

Supplements concert programming with educational events including lectures, post-concert forums, and symposia featuring composers, performers, and scholars to provide historical and cultural context for Japanese music. These events are held in partnership with institutions such as the Japan Foundation and Columbia University.

Produces and presents concerts featuring contemporary and traditional Japanese music, including world and American premieres, across venues in New York and other locations. These concerts often include works by both Japanese and American composers and are part of ongoing seasonal and festival programming.

Offers free public access to festival concerts via live streaming, particularly during the pandemic, to broaden audience reach and engagement with Japanese music.

Operates as a youth dance and music ensemble that performs works inspired by the musical traditions of the Kurdish region in northwestern Iran, emphasizing both festive and spiritual expressions. Based in New York City, the group shares these traditions with global audiences through performances.

Conducts daily live chainsaw wood carving demonstrations during the fair and holds a public auction of the resulting sculptures, including on August 16, 2026. The event features chainsaw-carved wood sculptures created on-site.

Organizes and runs motorsport events including demolition derbies (standard, bus, and figure 8 racing), tractor pulls, and championship truck and pony pulls as part of the annual fair programming. Includes maintaining registration forms for participant sign-up.

Provides hands-on and live demonstrations of historic trades and crafts including decoy carving, blacksmithing, rope-making, paper marbling, papermaking, and bookbinding, alongside educational displays on their history and techniques.

Organizes and hosts NY Sires Stake harness racing events as part of the annual fair programming.

Plans and runs a multi-day agricultural fair each year, featuring admission, parking, free shows, and unlimited rides through season passes. The event spans Tuesday through Sunday with daily programming and draws participants and audiences from upstate New York.

Organizes and conducts annual Jazz Amistad residencies and educational workshops in Havana, featuring instruction by U.S. jazz musicians for Cuban students in instrumental techniques, ensemble performance, and shared U.S.-Cuban musical roots. These include recurring programs such as "Amistad a través del Jazz" and collaborations with institutions like the Conservatorio Amadeo Roldán.

Donates new and refurbished musical instruments to Cuban music students and institutions, including over 600 instruments to date and specific deliveries such as violins and a bass funded through community fundraisers.

Organizes and supports performance opportunities for Cuban jazz ensembles in the United States, including appearances at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola and the Essentially Ellington Festival, and hosts reciprocal residencies in New Orleans and New York City for Cuban and U.S. musicians.

Conducts ongoing instrument repair workshops in Havana staffed by U.S. luthiers and technicians, repairing over 6,000 instruments to date and training Cuban students and artisans in repair techniques to support local music education and performance programs.

Offers scholarships enabling Cuban music students to participate in Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Summer Jazz Academy in New York City, supporting advanced training and cross-cultural engagement.