Ryo Kanda (a.k.a. Kezzardrix) is a computer graphics and visual artist based in Tokyo, Japan, specializing in generative visual expression through programming. His work spans live visual performances, music videos, theatre productions, media installations, digital signage, and software development, both in Japan and internationally. He is also active as a member of the black metal unit VMO and HEPIXELS, a visual art project with Satoru Higa. Since 2016, Kanda has been part of INT, the creative division of HIP LAND MUSIC. His accolades include the Award of Distinction at Ars Electronica 2016.

Aiko Hatanaka (a.k.a. Sumifutten) is a Tokyo-based Japanese calligrapher whose practice merges traditional calligraphy with contemporary design. She began studying calligraphy at the age of five and gradually developed a focus on integrating calligraphy with typography and visual design. Alongside her work as a stylist and advertising designer, she deepened her calligraphic practice, eventually establishing herself as an independent calligraphy artist and designer.

She works under the name “Sumifutten,” meaning “the boiling point of sumi ink,” reflecting her pursuit of passionate, expressive design. Her work has been featured in numerous exhibitions and interdisciplinary projects, including the stage backdrop for the theatre production Summer of the Kishi Family (2011) and the installation Words around ‘FLY’ at Royal Park Hotel The Haneda, located within Haneda International Airport (2014).

Mark Takeshi McGregor is a flutist, chamber musician, and improviser based in Vancouver, on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Peoples. Known for his “mind-blowing” performances and “huge physical energy” (Times Colonist), he is principal flutist with Aventa Ensemble, Sound of Dragon, and Vancouver Intercultural Orchestra, and has performed across five continents.

As a soloist and ensemble musician, McGregor has appeared with groups such as the Victoria Symphony, Little Giant Chinese Chamber Orchestra (Taiwan), and Aventa Ensemble. His collaborations include leading composers like Michael Finnissy, Heiner Goebbels, Philippe Leroux, Nicole Lizée, and Rolf Wallin. He is deeply committed to expanding the Canadian flute repertoire, a dedication recognized with the Friends of Canadian Music Award (2021).

A prolific recording artist, McGregor’s work appears on Centrediscs and Redshift Records. His album Lutalica, featuring solo flute works by Pacific Rim composers, earned him the 2020 Western Canadian Music Award for Classical Artist/Ensemble of the Year. Since 2021, he has served as Artistic Director of the Queer Arts Festival + SUM gallery, a major platform for 2SLGBTQIA+ artists in Canada.

Quartetto Maurice — Georgia Privitera (violin), Laura Bertolino (violin), Francesco Vernero (viola), and Aline Privitera (cello) — is an Italian string quartet known for its bold exploration of contemporary music and integration of electronics. Since its formation in 2002, the Quartet has placed 20th and 21st-century music at the core of its repertoire, collaborating with leading composers including Márta and György Kurtág, Helmut Lachenmann, Beat Furrer, and Chaya Czernowin.

Their 4+1 Project, which treats electronics as a fifth ensemble member, reflects their commitment to redefining chamber music for today’s soundscape. Their performances have appeared at major festivals including the Venice Biennale, November Music (Netherlands), Tzlil Meudcan (Israel), and the New Music Festival (Canada). The Quartet’s recordings include works by Fausto Romitelli, Silvia Borzelli, and Luigi Nono, and their work has been recognized with the Franco Abbiati Italian Music Critics Award and the Kranichsteiner Stipendium Preis (Darmstadt).

Rurihiko Hara is Associate Professor at Shizuoka University’s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and School of Regional Development. He is also a board member of the general incorporated association hO. His research focuses on Japanese gardens, Noh, and Kyogen.

Hara completed his doctorate at the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in 2020. His recent publications include Suhama-ron (On Suhama, Sakuhin-sha, 2023) and Nihon Teien o Meguru: Dezitaru Ākaibu no Kanōsei (Walking Around Japanese Gardens: The Potential of Digital Archives, Hayakawa Shobō, 2023).

In 2024, he received both the 74th Minister of Education, Culture, Sports and Technology’s Art Encouragement Prize for New Artists and the 15th Association for Studies of Culture and Representation Encouragement Prize for Suhama-ron. His work also extends to performance, having served as dramaturge for Life-Well, a Noh collaboration by Ryuichi Sakamoto, Mansai Nomura, and Shiro Takatani (2013), as well as the ongoing Okina Project (2020–).