EVENTS

Below you can find a selection of upcoming shakuhachi related events – e.g. workshops, making demonstrations or concerts – where shakuhachi atelier is either being actively involved in or is part of the organisational team. Hope to see you there!

OCTOBER 2023

NARUTO SYMPHONIC EXPERIENCE with EMMANUELLE ROUAUD

Emmanuelle Rouaud, my partner here at shakuhachi-atelier (i.e. Emmanuelle records the excellent shakuhachi sound samples for me.) will be playing the shakuhachi as part of a 40-musicians strong orchestra, also featuring the traditional Japanese instruments of taiko and shamisen. for the stage show of the Naruto Symphonic Experience.

The Naruto Symphonic Experience is a 2.5 hours immersive cine-concert based on the cult manga series Naruto and now presented as a live experience of sound and image. For anybody in Northern Germany or with the chance to travel – the upcoming dates are the 16. in Düsseldorf, then Berlin (17.10), Hamburg (18.10.) and Leipzig (19.10.). Further dates for performances in the Netherlands and Switzerland are scheduled for December.

---

OCTOBER 2023 to JUNE 2024

ESS ONLINE SEASON 2023-2024

As far as my ESS work goes, I wanted to share with you the programme of the ESS OnIine season 2023-24 which I just finished putting together now. We will have a series of 11 individual online events spread out between this October and June next year. These events embrace workshops from beginner level to advanced level as well as contextual workshops exploring the cultural and musical surrounding of the shakuhachi.

The motto being Today is a good day to start shakuhachi… or simply to pick up some new skills should appeal to almost everybody and particular for people who are just starting up or have been playing only for a while there are great sessions lined up to dive in.

A quick overview of ESS Online Season 2023-24:

15 October 2023 Event #1 StartingUp Shakuhachi/Beginner
Riley Lee, Daniel Ryudo
11+12 November 2023 Event #2 Beginner/Elementary
Riley Lee, Daniel Ryudo, Véronique Piron, Elizabeth Reian Bennett
21 January 2024 Event #3 ESS New Year Concert
ESS Members
11 February 2024 Event #4 StartingUp Shakuhachi/Beginner
Christopher Yohmei Blasdel, Kiku Day
2+3 March 2024 Event #5 Intermediate/Advanced
Akihito Obama, Gunnar Jinmei Linder, James Nyoraku Schlefer, Elizabeth Brown
13, 14, 20, 27 April & 4 May 2024 Event #6.1-#6.5 Voice & Shakuhachi
Junko Ueda, Teruo Furuya, Shino Arisawa/Miyama McQueen-Tokita, Kinzaburo Abe, Anne Norman
2 June 2024 Event #7 Shakuhachi & Improvisation
Ned Rothenberg, Detta Danford & Natasha Zielazinski

All the details are here: https://online2023-24.shakuhachisociety.eu

---

24 JULY 2023

CONCERT IN ST ANN’S CHURCH, DUBLIN

Performance of ‘Motogaeshi ‘ in St Ann’s Church in Dublin, 24 July 2023 in connection with the European Shakuhachi Society’s Summer School in Balbriggan/Dublin. The versionI play is based on a transcription I made from one of Watazumido’s recordings.

The shakuhachi I used is a 2.3 made by Yokoyama Ranpo (i.e. Yokoyama Katsuya’s father) sometime in the late 60s. I like to use that flute for this piece as it more or less from the same era the piece was created.

The other concert performers were Riley Lee, Kiku Day, Jean-François Suizan Lagrost, Philip Soumei Horan, José Seizan Vargas.and Charles Marshall.

And there will also be a (jiari) shakuhachi making session/demo at the Dublin ESS Summer School. As the schedule stands in the moment it is on day 4 (Sunday) between 10h00 to 12h45.

FEBUARY to JULY 2023

BEGINNERS WORKSHOP with Emmanuelle Rouaud

The CRC of the Pôle Musiques et Théâtre is pleased to announce the opening of a shakuhachi workshop at the Forum des Arts Charles Aznavour (near Paris). The workshop will be led by Emmanuelle Rouaud, shakuhachi player and teacher (shihan), who has been studying with Teruo Furuya, director of the Tokyo branch of the ‘Kokusai Shakuhachi Kenshukan’ school in Japan, since 2013.

The Shakuhachi workshop takes place one Saturday per month from 10:45 to 12:45 from February to July 2023 over 6 sessions.

We learn about the instrument (breathing and finger techniques), we discover the associated repertoire, we listen to traditional Japanese music to discover the sound of the instruments associated with the shakuhachi, which are the koto (table zither) and the shamisen (three-string guitar).

PVC study shakuhachi will be available during the workshop.

L’atelier a lieu au Forum des Arts Charles Aznavour,

1 Parvis Colonel Arnaud Beltrame, 78180 Montigny-le-Bretonneux, France.

APRIL 2022

TERUO FURUYA – ONLINE WORKSHOP 2022

This year would be the 10th Teruo Furuya workshop in Paris but as it was still impossible to arrange an ‘in person’ event for this springtime and after last years’ well received Teruo Furuya Online Workshop 2021, we decided to offer another virtual event and are pleased to announce the Teruo Furuya Online Workshop 2022.

Teruo Furuya, director and principle instructor of the Kokusai Shakuhachi Kenshūkan (KSK) in Japan, will present honkyoku as transmitted through KSK, modern composition and contextual sessions dealing with notions surrounding honkyoku performance & technique. This is a excellent opportunity to learn from one of the leading players active today.

Workshop places are limited to about 20 places.
All levels are welcome (elementary* / intermediate / advanced)

* elementary level (< 1-2 years of playing) – you are welcome to take part as it can be advantageous to be exposed to a higher level of playing and learning, even if you would not be able to follow the pieces in every detail. Do keep in mind here too that lesson recordings will be available to view for 2 weeks after the event.

Of course, regardless of level, you would need to familiarise youself with KSK notation style beforehand, as during the group lessons there would be not enough time to explain basic fingerings or common notation symbols.

If you are a beginner ( <6 months of playing) and in doubt about possible participation please contact us.

In general, for anybody not yet familiar with the main teaching practicalities during the online ZOOM group lessons:
– a moderator will be present during the lessons
– participants mute their microphone and only teacher/translator are audible.
– in the moments where participants want to interact (questions, play a phrase if they wish, etc.) they may unmute their microphone for that purpose

Registered participants will receive a guide describing the technical and practical points in detail.

Any questions please contact us at: info[at]shakuhachi-atelier[dot]com

Workshop dates: Sat/Sun 16/17 & Sat/Sun 23/24 April
Workshop times: 10h00 – 13h00 (Central European Summer Time, CEST)
Fees: € 90
Teaching language: Japanese/English
Translators: tbc
Technology: Zoom (recordings will be available to view for 2 weeks after the event.)

Honkyoku pieces taught:
Hon Shirabe (本調), Sanya Sugagaki (三谷菅垣), Reibo (霊慕) & Ukigumo (浮雲)

Modern pieces taught:
Miyama Higurashi by Fukuda Rando (1928)
Kokyo by Miki Minoru (1970)

Schedule:
Note: Times shown are in Central European Summer Time (CEST)

Sat 16.04 (WORKSHOP DAY I)
Session 1.1: 10h00 — 11h00 Honkyoku Hon Shirabe
Session 1.2: 11h10 — 11h50 Ideas around Honkyoku Performance / Technique 1
Session 1.3: 12h00 — 13h00 Honkyoku Reibo 1

Sun 17.04 (WORKSHOP DAY II)
Session 2.1: 10h00 — 11h00 Modern Kokyo 1
Session 2.2: 11h05 — 11h50 Honkyoku Sanya Sugagaki
Session 2.3: 12h00 — 13h00 Honkyoku Ukigumo 1

Sat 23.04 (WORKSHOP DAY III)
Session 3.1: 10h00 — 11h00 Modern Kokyo 2
Session 3.2: 11h10 — 11h50 Ideas around Honkyoku Performance / Technique 2
Session 3.3: 12h00 — 13h00 Honkyoku Reibo 2

Sun 24.04 (WORKSHOP DAY IV)
Session 4.1: 10h00 — 11h00 Honkyoku Ukigumo 2
Session 4.2: 11h05 — 11h50 Modern Miyama Higurashi
Session 4.3: 12h00 — 12h45 ‘Concert’ – Let’s play all the studied pieces together

Hope to see you there! – Thorsten & Emmanuelle

Related links:
Teruo Furuya website (english/japanese): www.furuyateruo108.com
KSK website (japanese): www.ksk-shakuhachi.com/

OCTOBER 2021

Un Automne au Japon
Fabrication instrument & Musique Traditionnelle Japonaise

In October I will be giving a demonstration of various processes involved in jiari shakuhachi making at the Conservatoire Municipal de Musique in Saulx-les-Chartreux near Paris.

This day which will also features introductions to the three Japanese instruments, shakuhachi, koto and shamisen and in the evening there will be a concert by Emmanuelle Rouaud (shakuhachi) and Fumie Hihara (koto and shamisen) featuring sankyoku, shinkyoku and honkyoku music.

Date: 16. October 2021
Times introduction & demonstration: 16h30 – 18h30
Times concert: 20h30
Location: Salle Boris Vian, Conservatoire de Musique
49 rue de la Division Leclerc
91160 Saulx-les-Chartreux

JULY 2021

EUROPEAN SHAKUHACHI SOCIETY ONLINE SUMMER SCHOOL 2021

July will be a busy month – Firstly I will be presenting a jiari making demonstration at this years’ online ESS summer event. We will look at the process of making a middle joint (nakatsugi).
The demonstration (video + talk) will be on Saturday 24 July between 15h15 – 16h15 (CEST).

On Sunday 25 July my performance of the KSK piece Daha is included in the evening concert. (Played on a 2.4 made at my workshop 🙂 The concert will be presented as video clips.

And finally on Saturday 31 July between 11h15 – 11h45 I will present my experimental short film Listening Station which combines video footage of the abandoned US listening station on the outskirts of Berlin with site-specific improvisation performed on shakuhachi in the building itself to create a multi-layered exploration of the building and its ambience.

Dates: 24+25 July & 31 July + 1 August
http://summerschool2021.shakuhachisociety.eu/

APRIL 2021

TERUO FURUYA – ONLINE WORKSHOP 2021

We are pleased to announce an online workshop with Teruo Furuya!
Teruo Furuya, director and principle instructor of the Kokusai Shakuhachi Kenshūkan (KSK), will present honkyoku as transmitted through KSK, modern composition by Fukuda Rando and sessions on technique. This is a excellent opportunity to learn from one of the leading players active today. All levels welcome. Workshop places are limited to about 16 places.

Any questions please contact us at: info@shakuhachi-atelier.com

Workshop dates: Sat/Sun 17/18.4 & Sat/Sun 24.4/25.4
Workshop times: 10h00 – 13h00 (Central European Summer Time, CEST)

Fees: € 80 (£70/U$ 96/¥10,750)
Teaching language: Japanese/English
Translators: James Long (17/18.4) and Phillip Meese (24/25.4)
Technology: Zoom
(recordings will be available to view for 4 weeks after the event.)

Honkyoku pieces taught:
Kuyo no kyoku / 供養曲 (レ & り tuning)
Yamagoe / 山越
Tamuke / 手向
San’ya (Mountain Valley) / 山谷

Modern pieces taught:
Fukuda Rando: Gekkoh Rohteki /月光弄笛, Kikyo-Genso-kyoku / 桔梗幻想曲

Schedule:
Note: Times shown are in Central European Summer Time (CEST)

Sat 17.04 (WORKSHOP DAY I)
Session 1.1: 10h00 – 11h00 Honkyoku Kuyo no kyoku (レ & り)
Session 1.2: 11h05 – 11h50 Technique 1
Session 1.3: 12h00 – 13h00 Honkyoku Yamagoe 1

Sun 18.04 (WORKSHOP DAY II)
Session 2.1: 10h00 – 11h00 Fukuda Rando (Azuma Ryū) / Gekkoh Rohteki
Session 2.2: 11h05 – 11h50 Technique 2
Session 2.3: 12h00 – 13h00 Honkyoku Sanya (Mountain Valley) 1
Screening 2.4: (time tba) DVD video of Teruo Furuya concert

Sat 24.04 (WORKSHOP DAY III)
Session 3.1: 10h00 – 11h00 Honkyoku Yamagoe 2
Session 3.2: 11h05 – 11h50 Technique 3
Session 3.3: 12h00 – 13h00 Honkyoku Sanya (Mountain Valley) 2

Sun 25.04 (WORKSHOP DAY IV)
Session 4.1: 10h00 – 11h00 Honkyoku Tamuke
Session 4.2: 11h05 – 11h50 Fukuda Rando 2 Kikyo-Genso-kyoku
Session 4.3: 12h00 – 12h45 ‘Concert’ – Let’s play all the studied pieces together

Thank you!

Teruo Furuya website (english/japanese): www.furuyateruo108.com
KSK website (japanese): www.ksk-shakuhachi.com/

AUGUST 2020

NowHere2020 – 1st European Shakuhachi Society Online Festival

This August shakuhachi atelier will present a session on jiari shakuhachi making covering aspects of the utaguchi (blowing edge) construction as part of the ESS Nowhere2020 online event. (Session is on Saturday 8 August, 13h00 — 13h45.)

Due to the current restrictions on gatherings and music events instead of the annual Summer School there will be an Online Festival hosted by the European Shakuhachi Society (ESS) this summer: NowHere2020. The dates are the 1/2 and 8/9 in August with three teaching sessions each day and as well as a general robuki/tips/welcome session starting off each day.

Besides teachers from Europe there will be Kurahashi Yodo II from Japan, Riley Lee from Australia and Alcvin Ramos from Canada. There are a variety of styles and schools represented and the pieces taught range from beginners to advanced levels.

You can see the full schedule and details about the registration process at the nowhere2020 website here: http://nowhere2020.shakuhachisociety.eu/

MARCH 2020

TERUO FURUYA – PARIS WORKSHOP 2020

We are excited to announce our 2020 Masterclass with Teruo FURUYA (shakuhachi), director and principal instructor of the Kokusai Shakuhachi Kenshūkan (KSK) in Japan and Mizuka ONISHI (koto/shamisen), recipient of the Tottori Prefecture Cultural Achievement Award 2020, in Saint-Maurice (Paris). The dates are the weekend of the 7 & 8 March and for the location we will return to the Academy of Music and Theater of Saint Maurice.

As in previous years the masterclass will again offer an opportunity to study honkyoku pieces from the Katsuya YOKOYAMA lineage as transmitted through the Kenshūkan and from the wider KSK repertoire. This years’ pieces will be the two honkyoku Koku and Sagariha, the sokyoku Haru no Kyoku and the modern Fukuda RANDO composition Tabibito no Uta. For registered participants we will send you photocopied scores and sound files in due course.

DATES & LOCATION
Saturday 7 & Sunday 8 March

Olivier Messiaen Academy of Music and Theater Saint-Maurice
The François Devienne Auditorium
30 bis rue du Maréchal Leclerc
94410 Saint-Maurice/Paris

Metro line 8, Charenton-Écoles or École Vétérinaire de Maison-Alfort

SCHEDULE
Master class 10h00 – 17h30
Koto/Shamisen class 10h00 – 12h30
Lunch break 12h30 – 14h00

FEES
Shakuhachi 1 DAY = € 75 / 2 DAYS = € 140
Koto/Shamisen 1 DAY = € 60 / 2 DAYS = € 110

You are welcome to come to the masterclass for ‘listening only’ (€ 20 per day)

ENROLMENT AND FURTHER INFORMATION
To reserve your place at the Masterclass 2020 or for any questions please contact us at furuya.masterclass[at]gmail.com. Fees to be paid on the first day in cash.

You can find all the info as PDF here

Hope to see you there!
Emmanuelle, Katsura, Thorsten

DECEMBER 2019

Découverte de la Musique Japonaise

As part of a weekend of traditional and contemporary japanese music with Emmanuelle Rouaud (shakuhachi) and Naoko Kikuchi (koto, shamisen) in Montigny-le-Bretonneux (France), I was presenting my PVC shakuhachi at the Franco-Japanese Cultural Institute, Salle Jacques Brel as well as the Canal Mediatheque in Montigny.