This spring, Zisa returned to Japan to give the keynote address for the five-year anniversary 2011 Earthquake-Tsunami and premiere an original composition dedicated to the city of Hiroshima. He also performed works by Vivaldi, Carulli, and Ibert with classical guitarist Kazuhiko Yamada and flutist Naoko Hamamoto.
An especially moving moment during Zisa’s visit to Japan was his visit to the Peace Memorial in Hiroshima.
“Visiting the Peace Memorial was a powerfully moving experience. The stories of the individual lives tragically lost and the devastation of the entire population and landscape of the city was tremendously painful and sad to absorb and relive. How poignant it is to consider how little human leadership in the world has changed. Reflecting on the Peace Message of Hiroshima 70 years later, it is less important to blame the judgment of national leaders of the time than to accept the responsibility here and now to speak out bravely in defense of the innocent and do everything in our power to stand opposed to the tragic brutal taking of life; to be ‘as a voice crying out in the wilderness’ for peace.”
