The New “Yellow Peril” in Western European Symphony Orchestras
How pervasive is anti-East-Asian racism in professional symphony orchestras in Western Europe? In this talk, Dr. Maiko Kawabata will present findings from her recent ethnographic study based on interviews with ethnically Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese musicians in the UK, Germany, and beyond. She will analyse and interpret the findings, placing them in a larger context, exploring their history, ideology, and implications.
Dr. Maiko Kawabata (Lecturer in Music at the Royal College of Music and Staff Tutor in Music at the Open University) is an award-winning musicologist and professional violinist. She is the author of Paganini, the 'Demonic' Virtuoso and a co-editor of Exploring Virtuosities: Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst, Nineteenth-Century Musical Practices and Beyond. Her research interests include performance history, performance studies, gender studies, music and race. Maiko’s research into Japanese composer Kikuko Kanai is supported by the BBC and AHRC. She has played violin in orchestras and chamber ensembles throughout the UK, USA, and Germany.
