Throughout his career, Mr. Aoki has strived to bring cultural, Asian art to the forefront and in the public eye.
CHICAGO, IL, July 27, 2021 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Tatsu Aoki has been inducted into Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Born and raised in a traditional music family in Tokyo, Japan, Mr. Aoki is an award-winning artist who manages several programs within nonprofit organizations presenting traditional and contemporary Asian American performing arts in Chicago.
Possessing the motivation to bring Asian performing arts to America, Mr. Aoki immigrated to the United States from Japan in the 1970s and pursued a career in art. He attended Ohio University and later received a bachelor's degree and a Master of Arts in filmmaking from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, obtaining the latter in 1985. Mr. Aoki began his career as president of Cultural Business Consultants, Inc., in 1987, and then worked as a Japanese cinema consultant for Home Vision Entertainment. Today, Mr. Aoki holds several positions within the arts and entertainment industry. He is the executive director of Asian Improv aRts Midwest, artistic director and executive producer of Tsukasa Taiko, and an adjunct professor at the School of Art Institute of Chicago. He was a visiting professor at Northwestern University until 2019 and the University of Chicago in the 90s.
In his position at Tsukasa Taiko, Mr. Aoki is responsible for running the organization and a yearly budget of approximately $350,000. Roughly 65% of the organization's funding comes from state and federal governments and foundations. The organization has three Japanese provisional arts programs, as well as contemporary art, jazz music and contemporary music based on Asian Pacific identity. With Asian lmprov aRts Midwest, Mr. Aoki is responsible for the Midwest region activities. It is a presenting and programing organization for the Asian American performing arts, with educational components of training sessions and workshops. It is also a branch operation of the Asian Improv aRts in San Francisco.
As an accomplished professional, Mr. Aoki has received much recognition for his efforts in his career. He was named Chicagoan of the Year in 2001 by the Chicago Tribune. He also received the Milestone Award from the Asian American Institute, the Cultural Achievement Award from the Japan America Society of Chicago, the Living in Our Culture Award from the Japanese American Service Committee, and the Jazz Heroes Award from the Jazz Journalists Association. Mr. Aoki has also competed in competitions and festivals. In 2017, he won Best Experimental Film at the Canada International Film Festival and a Commendation for the Promotion of Japanese Culture from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Japan. He was previously presented with the Community Service Award from the Asian American Advisory Council of Illinois, the George Freeman Award, the Community Service Award from the Asian American Coalition of Chicago. In 2020, he received a United States Artist Fellowship and an Illinois Arts Council Fellowship award.
Throughout his career, Mr. Aoki has strived to bring cultural, Asian art to the forefront and in the public eye. He was the first individual in Chicago to bring Japanese Taiko Drumming into the arts and music scene, and he has produced a number of recordings, events and festivals in the community so others can witness new forms of art.
Mr. Aoki maintains professional affiliation with the Asian and Asian American Organizations and the Asian American Performing Arts. In the coming years, he plans to establish the first Asian American performing arts facility in Chicago.
Asian Improv aRts Midwest is looking to connect with funders and individuals who are interested in building the performing arts venue (black box) dedicated for Asian American arts in Chicago.
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Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® now publishes many Who's Who titles, including Who's Who in America®, Who's Who in the World®, Who's Who in American Law®, Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare®, Who's Who in Science and Engineering®, and Who's Who in Asia®. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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