Charlotte Kemp Muhl to Join Keiichiro Shibuya's Android Opera Performance in 2025
On November 5, 2025, at Suntory Hall, renowned composer Keiichiro Shibuya will present his latest creation, 'ANDROID OPERA MIRROR - Deconstruction and Rebirth'. The performance will feature Grammy-winning artist Charlotte Kemp Muhl as a special guest. Kemp Muhl, noted for her work with Sean Lennon in the duo 'The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger' and as the bassist for St. Vincent, is an artist known for her cross-disciplinary collaborations in music, fashion, and technology. In this unique performance, she will join Shibuya and a group of monks, incorporating electronics and readings. This collaboration aims to blur the boundaries between human and non-human and music and embodiment.
The teaser for this performance, which employs AI technology, was also co-produced by Kemp Muhl, marking the beginning of an exciting collaboration with Shibuya (AI Animation & Video Editing: Charlotte Kemp Muhl, Sage Morei).
Prior to the performance, Keiichiro Shibuya released a program note that sheds light on his decade-long journey working with androids. In his statement, he reflects on the development of androids as a central icon in his operatic works, representing evolving instruments while expressing human emotions. He shares his unyielding desire to create an android that embodies his expectations of movement and form, a quest informed by the complexities of life, death, and consciousness.
Shibuya also delves into existential themes, revealing how creating the android Maria has granted him the joy of discovering a new instrument and life form. He emphasizes the paradox of death—a theme he has explored extensively in his work. His thoughts on this experience transcend into the concept of spirituality, where music becomes a vessel of life amidst the inevitable cycle of existence.
The performance 'ANDROID OPERA MIRROR' has evolved significantly since its inception, having been presented in various locations, including the Dubai Expo in 2022 and the Châtelet Theatre in Paris in 2023. This reimagined version promises to dismantle the original narrative and instead offers a series of simulations and variations exploring apocalyptic themes and human reactions.
In the new version of this opera, Shibuya emphasizes the beauty to be found even in the face of destruction. He draws from his recent realizations, suggesting that we may very well be living in a world that has already experienced its end. This reflection led to an intriguing proposition for a feature in a Parisian magazine, centered around the theme of Voodoo, hinting at a quest for new spirituality amidst technology.
Shibuya aims to create an expansive auditory experience during the performance, with a musical ensemble that integrates monks chanting from Koyasan—accompanied by brass instruments distributed throughout the audience. This layout will generate a sound space that oscillates between the sacred and the alarming, enveloping listeners in the layers of sound reinforced by the voice of android Maria.
The envisioned scene—where the android dances and sings at the center—evokes a ritualistic experience, merging ancient spirituality with futuristic technology. This exploration of repetition and simulation encapsulates notions of life and death, suggesting a continuity beyond singular existence.
Shibuya's vision encapsulates hope within the circularity of time amidst the potential end of the world, aiming to capture a strange beauty in such a reflection as he prepares for this groundbreaking performance.
Keiichiro Shibuya Android Opera 'MIRROR' - Deconstruction and Rebirth
Date: November 5, 2025 (Wednesday)
Opening: 18:00 / Start: 19:00
Venue: Suntory Hall (1-13-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo)
Ticket Purchase: Ticket PIA, Eplus
Piano, Electronics: Keiichiro Shibuya
Vocals: Android Maria
Koyasan Chanting: Eizen Fujiwara, Yasuhiro Yamamoto, Daihiro Kashiwabara, Tomonobu Tani
Electronics, Reading: Special Guest Charlotte Kemp Muhl
ANDROID OPERA TOKYO ORCHESTRA (Concertmaster: Tatsuki Narita)
Android Programming: Shintaro Imai
Visuals: Justine Emard
Melco Group
Produced by
ATAK
[email protected]
The teaser for this performance, which employs AI technology, was also co-produced by Kemp Muhl, marking the beginning of an exciting collaboration with Shibuya (AI Animation & Video Editing: Charlotte Kemp Muhl, Sage Morei).
Prior to the performance, Keiichiro Shibuya released a program note that sheds light on his decade-long journey working with androids. In his statement, he reflects on the development of androids as a central icon in his operatic works, representing evolving instruments while expressing human emotions. He shares his unyielding desire to create an android that embodies his expectations of movement and form, a quest informed by the complexities of life, death, and consciousness.
Shibuya also delves into existential themes, revealing how creating the android Maria has granted him the joy of discovering a new instrument and life form. He emphasizes the paradox of death—a theme he has explored extensively in his work. His thoughts on this experience transcend into the concept of spirituality, where music becomes a vessel of life amidst the inevitable cycle of existence.
The performance 'ANDROID OPERA MIRROR' has evolved significantly since its inception, having been presented in various locations, including the Dubai Expo in 2022 and the Châtelet Theatre in Paris in 2023. This reimagined version promises to dismantle the original narrative and instead offers a series of simulations and variations exploring apocalyptic themes and human reactions.
In the new version of this opera, Shibuya emphasizes the beauty to be found even in the face of destruction. He draws from his recent realizations, suggesting that we may very well be living in a world that has already experienced its end. This reflection led to an intriguing proposition for a feature in a Parisian magazine, centered around the theme of Voodoo, hinting at a quest for new spirituality amidst technology.
Shibuya aims to create an expansive auditory experience during the performance, with a musical ensemble that integrates monks chanting from Koyasan—accompanied by brass instruments distributed throughout the audience. This layout will generate a sound space that oscillates between the sacred and the alarming, enveloping listeners in the layers of sound reinforced by the voice of android Maria.
The envisioned scene—where the android dances and sings at the center—evokes a ritualistic experience, merging ancient spirituality with futuristic technology. This exploration of repetition and simulation encapsulates notions of life and death, suggesting a continuity beyond singular existence.
Shibuya's vision encapsulates hope within the circularity of time amidst the potential end of the world, aiming to capture a strange beauty in such a reflection as he prepares for this groundbreaking performance.
Performance Overview
Keiichiro Shibuya Android Opera 'MIRROR' - Deconstruction and Rebirth
Date: November 5, 2025 (Wednesday)
Opening: 18:00 / Start: 19:00
Venue: Suntory Hall (1-13-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo)
Ticket Purchase: Ticket PIA, Eplus
Performers
Piano, Electronics: Keiichiro Shibuya
Vocals: Android Maria
Koyasan Chanting: Eizen Fujiwara, Yasuhiro Yamamoto, Daihiro Kashiwabara, Tomonobu Tani
Electronics, Reading: Special Guest Charlotte Kemp Muhl
ANDROID OPERA TOKYO ORCHESTRA (Concertmaster: Tatsuki Narita)
Android Programming: Shintaro Imai
Visuals: Justine Emard
Hosted by
Melco Group
Produced by
ATAK
For inquiries:
[email protected]
Topics Entertainment & Media）
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