Symphony Kukai returns to London, bridging cultures through music

Symphony Kukai returned to London on Friday at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, following its European premiere in the city in August 2024.

Performed by one of the world's leading ensembles, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and conducted by renowned Japanese conductor Takuo Yuasa, the concert marked the largest-scale presentation of the work since its world premiere on Aug 1, 2023, in Lanzhou, China.

The 2,700-seat Royal Festival Hall was filled to capacity, with audiences of different nationalities and age groups in attendance.

Expanded from a 25-minute soundtrack originally composed for a documentary about the influential Japanese Buddhist Master Kukai, also known as Kobo Daishi, the 90-minute symphony tells of the scholar-monk's extraordinary life.

Kukai traveled to China in 804 during the Tang dynasty (618–907), where he studied under Master Huiguo and brought the Dharma back to Japan, along with advanced culture and technologies from the Tang dynasty, promoting and applying them widely across Japan.

"Throughout Kukai's life, there is a spirit—compassion, selflessness, and a dedication to benefiting all beings," said Yue Yongde, representative of the producer Tianguzhiyin Culture Media Co. Ltd.

"We hope that through this music—its melodies and the voices of the choir—this spirit can reach people around the world, move their hearts, and awaken the goodness and light that already exist within them."

"In this shared experience, people can meet one another in a state of peace and gentleness, and engage in genuine exchange through mutual understanding," he added.