The Kyoto Prize, a sort of Japanese equivalent to the Nobel Prize, has been awarded every year since 1985 in three categories: Advanced Technology, Basic Science, and Arts and Philosophy. The Inamori Foundation, which awards the prizes, does it to honor “those who have contributed significantly to the scientific, cultural, and spiritual betterment of mankind.”

The Arts and Philosophy category is divided into four fields: Music, Arts, Theater and Cinema, and Thought and Ethics. The 2013 Kyoto Prize laureate for Arts and Philosophy is pianist Cecil Taylor; previous winners were Olivier Messaien (1985), John Cage (1989), Witold Lutoslawski (1993), Iannis Xenakis (1997), György Ligeti (2001), Nikolaus Harnoncourt (2005) and Pierre Boulez (2009).

In the video below, Taylor performs in duo with dancer Min Tanaka. (The performance begins at about the 6:30 mark; it’s preceded by a short video about Taylor’s life and work.)

—Phil Freeman