| Akikazu
Nakamura,
shakuhachi, studied under Katsuya Yokoyama and several masters of the komuso
shakuhachi tradition. A graduate of the NHK School of Traditional Music,
Nakamura went on to study composition and jazz theory at Berklee College
of Music, graduating summa cum laude. He was then awarded a scholarship
to pursue a master's degree in composition and third-stream music at the
New England Conservatory. He has performed in more than 30 countries worldwide
under the sponsorship of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the
Japan Foundation, among others. While still grounding his roots in the classical
tradition handed down by komuso monks, Nakamura has delved into different
musical genres including rock, jazz, and contemporary music. He leads a
fusion pop/rock/jazz band, Kokoo, which features shakuhachi and koto. Nakamura
is one of the first shakuhachi players to make use of the circular breathing
technique which enables him to breathe in as he plays the instrument, thus
ensuring a continuous sound. Nakamura has received much recognition for
his performances and recordings: he was awarded the 19th Matsuo Performing
Arts Prize; he received the Columbia Golden Disc Prize for his CD entitled
The World of Zen Music: Saji, and was twice honored with the Prize
for Excellence at the Arts Festival sponsored by the Agency for Cultural
Affairs - in 1999 (for the Saji recording) and in 2005 for his most
recent CD, The World of Zen Music: Sanya. Also active as a composer
and arranger, Nakamura has been commissioned by NHK, WDR (Germany), the
Jean Sibelius String Quartet (Finland), and the Ravel String Quartet (France),
among others. He was awarded the Encouragement Prize by the Agency for Cultural
Affairs for his work as a composer. A member of the Japan Society of Contemporary
Music, Nakamura currently teaches at the Toho Gakuen College of Drama and
Music. |
