Mentor/Protégé Program
(6-week Intensive Summer Training in Tokyo)

To supplement the Gagaku-Hōgaku ensemble class during the academic year, the Mentor/Protégé Program was started in 2007, which offers Columbia’s most promising Gagaku-Hōgaku students a six-week intensive summer training in Tokyo with first-class master musicians.

Participants (“Protégés”) are provided grants to cover the costs of airfare, housing, and music lessons with such world-renowned master-musicians (“Mentors”) as Hitomi Nakamura (hichiriki), Takeshi Sasamoto (ryūteki), Mayumi Miyata (shō), Remi Miura (shō), Satomi Fukami (koto), Junsuke Kawase (shakuhachi) and Yosuke Kawase (shakuhachi). Protégés in Gagaku also receive group lessons at Kunitachi College of Music, Ono Gagaku Society, etc.

To qualify, students must have enrolled in at least one semester of “World Music Ensemble – Gagaku” or “World Music Ensemble – Hōgaku.” Knowledge of the Japanese language is not required. The program usually runs from late May until early July (from early May until late June for 2021 only). Application forms need to be obtained by emailing medievaljapan[at]columbia.edu. Application deadline is February 28 every year, and selections will be announced by March 31.

2023 Protégés
Emma Braunberger (hichiriki)
Aya Ishida (hichiriki)
Kelsey Chin (shakuhachi)
Justin Udulutch (koto)

2022 Protégés
Nina Fukuoka (shō)
Evan Caplinger (hichiriki)
Lish Lindsey (ryūteki)
Brian Ling (shakuhachi)

2021 Protégés
Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020 Protégés
Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2019 Protégés
Evan Caplinger (hichiriki)
Lish Lindsey (ryūteki)

2018 Protégé
Miguel Martinez (ryūteki)

2017 Protégés
Toru Momii (shō)
Lucie Vitkova (hichiriki)
Cole Wagner (ryūteki)
Weitao Zhou (shakuhachi)
Sara Heiny (koto)
Marisa Liu (koto)

2016 Protégés
Harrison Hsu (gakusō)
Zak Seligman Karen (shō)
Zoe Levine (koto)
Johni Licht (ryūteki)
Kevin Tien (hichiriki)
Devon Tipp (hichiriki)

2015 Protégés
Lish Lindsey (ryūteki)
Chatori Shimizu (shō)
Henry Liang (shō)
Junjie Jiang (koto)

2014 Protégés
Joshua Mailman (hichiriki)
Arias Abbruzzi Davis (ryūteki)
Bryana Williams (shō)
Alessandro Poletto (koto)

2013 Protégés
Racine Nassau (hichiriki)
Joanne Yao (hichiriki)
Alessandra Urso (shō)
Benjamin Grossman (shakuhachi)
Andrew Macomber (shakuhachi)
Kento Watanabe (koto)

2012 Protégés
Matthew Samimi (ryūteki)
Eric Grossman (shakuhachi)
Elizabeth Tinsley (koto)
Gloria (Yu) Yang (koto)

2011 Protégé
Cancelled due to the Great Tohoku Earthquake.

2010 Protégés
Eddie (Byung Jin) Kang (hichiriki)
Jeff Arkenberg (shō)
Jiahe Zhang (shō)

2009 Protégés
Shannon Garland (hichiriki)
Maggie Goldbar (ryūteki)
Harrison Hsu (shō)

2008 Protégés
Michael Dames (shō)
Casey Diaz (shō)
Patricia Slattery (ryūteki)
Todd Spitz (shō)

2007 Protégés
Amy Gardner  (hichiriki)
Ruth Rosenberg  (ryūteki)
Ben Siegelman  (hichiriki)
Teresa Wojtasiewicz  (ryūteki)