The Tyler Museum of Art will present a musical performance on Wednesday, June 18 at 6:30. Los Tres Gaijingos (The Three Outsiders) will perform music of the Japanese bamboo flute, or shakuhachi.

The shakuhachi is the most important wind instrument of Japan. There are few, if any, other instruments in the world that associate so complex a playing technique with such simplicity of construction. The shakuhachi is a hollowed-out bamboo tube with four holes in front and one in back; there are no keys. The player covers most of the upper open end of the tube with his lower lip and then blows across the remaining area of the opening. Despite the presence of only five holes, the instrument has a complete chromatic scale of two octaves and a fifth. Much of the music played on the shakuhachi is conceived as an aid for meditation, both for the listener and the player. Many of the compositions draw on distinctive ancient melodies that preserve their unique regional character.

Los Tres Gaijingos is comprised of three of Texas' finest shakuhachi masters—Christopher Blasdel, Riley Lee, and Stan Richardson. The group's performance in Tyler is the first stop on a limited series of Texas engagements that will also feature performances in San Antonio and Dallas.

The performance is free for Tyler Museum of Art members. Non-member tickets are available for $3. Tickets are $2 for East Texas Symphony Orchestra subscribers. Please call 903.595.1001 for reservations. Seating is limited. Attendees are invited to attend a reception immediately following the performance.