Shakuhachi lovers from around the world will gather at the University of Hawai‘i’s Mänoa campus and the East-West Center from Dec. 15 to 18 for a festival celebrating the traditional Japanese bamboo flute. The highlight of the festival will be a Master’s Concert on Friday, Dec. 15, at 7:30 p.m. in Orvis Auditorium.
The concert will feature traditional and contemporary shakuhachi pieces performed in various styles by such world masters as Christopher Yohmei Blasdel, Steven Taizen Casano, Robert Herr and Chris Molina from Hawai‘i; Yuzan Kaminaga, Kazushi Matama and Ranzan Mitsui from Japan; Riley Lee from Australia and Gunnar Jinmei Linder from Sweden. They will be accompanied by special guests Kenny Endo on percussion, Kikuko Sato on shamisen, vocalist Mika Kimula and others. Concert tickets are $10 to $20 and can be purchased at the door.
The festival is an opportunity for participants of all skill levels to learn and perform a variety of shakuhachi playing styles through workshops and classes. Participation fees range from $175 to $350 and include access to all concerts, workshops, lessons and an academic conference covering the latest in shakuhachi research.
The festival is presented by the East-West Center Arts Program
and the UH Mänoa Music Department, with additional support from the Japan Foundation and the UH Center for Japanese Studies. For more information, visit www.HawaiiShakuhachi.com.
