This past weekend, on May 16 and May 17, 2026, the Japanese Drumming and Global Fusion Band, Zakuro-Daiko, held their spring concert in the Emerson Auditorium of the Taylor Music Center. Titled ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’, the performance was an ode to the spring season.
The concert was directed by Jennifer Milioto Matsue, Chair of Union’s Music department, and featured 26 student performers from all class years across 14 performances.
“Zakuro-Daiko” translates to “Garnet Drums” in Japanese and was chosen as the band’s name in true Union Spirit. The band was established in 2007 under the leadership of Matsue, a resident ethnomusicologist, who wanted to bring Japanese music and culture to life on campus.
This year’s concert coincided with ReUnion weekend and received attention and praise not just from current students but also from alumni of all ages, who were impressed by the ensemble’s talent and rhythm.
“I personally like percussion-heavy music a lot, so I enjoyed how energizing the performances were,” said Jason Sabba ’27. “Some of my friends were performing a piece, and they worked really hard on it, so I liked being able to go and appreciate their work.”
The atmosphere was lively, as students not only performed on the stage, but also travelled to the audience with their instruments. In anticipation of the high volume of the instruments and the close proximity to attendees, audience members were provided with earbuds so they could enjoy the concert without distress.
The performances ranged from pieces by independent artists taught to students by Matsue, to Zakuro-Daiko students’ original pieces that they presented to a wide audience for the first time. A ‘Senior Piece’ composed and performed by the nine graduating seniors of Zakuro-Daiko culminated this year’s concert.“I loved being a part of Zakuro-Daiko so much,” exclaimed Alex Roginski ’26. “When I started, I had no idea what taiko was, but now I’m a Japanese minor, have plans to travel to Japan this summer, and dream of performing taiko professionally! I kept thinking to myself, ‘This is the last time I will play this song,’ but instead of feeling more sad, I felt motivated to play with more enthusiasm. I couldn’t stop smiling, and I’m so excited to see where I go next!”
This year’s concert was 90 minutes long, slightly longer than past concerts. The Music Department found a clever way to captivate the audience while also giving performers time to set up their equipment with a game of “Picnictionary”.
A unique take on Pictionary, the game was simple: students would draw a picnic item on a whiteboard, and audience members had to guess the item being drawn.
The game was hosted in collaboration with the Makers Web, Union’s making and fabrication hub. The Maker’s Web provided 3D-printed models of insects and animals associated with spring in beautiful colors that were handed out as prizes for the game. The audience enjoyed the interactive game and it helped pace the performances in a way that made it more enjoyable.
“I’m eager to see what the underclassmen do next in Zakuro-Daiko,” added Roginski.
All in all, the concert was an enjoyable experience for the performers and the audience members alike, making it a fitting end to another wonderful year of Zakuro-Dai- ko at Union College.
