Tokyo Gakuso formed in 1978 to preserve and advance gagaku, the oldest of Japan's performing arts, dating back over a thousand years. Since its inception, Tokyo Gakuso has performed many new compositions along with pieces from the classical repertoire that have been rarely heard. Founding music director Tadamaro Ono led the group until his death in 1994, when his nephew, Tadaaki Ono, succeeded him. Celestial Harmonies released an album by Tokyo Gakuso in 2002 -- Gaguku: Gems From Foreign Lands -- which followed an earlier release, Gagaku Beyond (2000). ~ Jason Birchmeier, Rovi