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About the Sawai Koto Academy
From his student days at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, Tadao Sawai received considerable media attention as a new young artist with tremendous potential, his activities unrestricted by musical genre. Promising young musicians were naturally drawn to him and he began to teach koto around 1966.
1968 saw the beginning of regular student recitals for the students of Tadao & Kazue Sawai. This group gradually evolved, adopting the name of Sawai Koto Academy (Sawai Soukyokuin) in 1974. Through their teaching, public performance and student recitals the Sawai’s attracted greater numbers of students, and worked to nurture a growing group of dynamic musicians as they increased the depth and breadth of their activities.
On February 10, 1979 an official ceremony was held in Kasumigaseki, Tokyo to mark the founding of the Sawai Koto Academy. The Tadao Sawai Ensemble (Sawai Tadao Gassoudan), established to formally represent the Institute and made up of the Sawai’s top students, held its debut concert in the same year. Numerous concerts have been produced by the group and it remains active today, performing regularly on television, radio and concert stages throughout Japan.
Arguably the greatest post-war performer and composer for the koto, Tadao was active in all parts of Japan and abroad. He produced and performed in a great number of concerts and concert series including “GENDAI NI IKIRU KOTO (Koto Alive Today)” (1983), “The Koto NOW Masterpiece Concert” and “The First Summer Concert for Children” (1985), “Tadao Sawai Plays Tadao Sawai” (1986-1987), the “Koto Festival” series making the tenth year anniversary of the Academy(1989-1990), “TEN & SHAN” (1991) and the fifteenth year anniversary series “Koto Festival” (1994). Focusing on the need for highly trained and qualified instructors, Sawai introduced a formal examination system for the Academy in 1980. Further work included projects such as the Sawai Koto Academy Ensemble Seminar, a year long program to hone ensemble technique and musical expression established in 1984, and an extensive series of informal lecture concerts from 1986, promoting a deeper understanding and enjoyment of the classical repertoire.
Today the Sawai Koto Academy consists nine domestic branches (Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Hokuriku, Tokai, Kansai, Chugoku, Shikoku and Kyushu) and two overseas branches (Hawaii and Sydney). The Hawaii branch came into existence some twenty years ago and the Sydney group has an eighteen year history. The Academy has also been active abroad with members in cities and countries such as New York, San Francisco, the Netherlands and Moscow. It was also involved in starting koto studies in the U.S. at The University of Hawaii, Wesleyan University (Connecticut), Augustana College (Illinois), and The University of California, San Diego and The University of Florida (Florida), in Australia at Monash University (Melbourne) and in the Philippines at The University of the Philippines (Manila).
With the passing of Tadao Sawai in 1997, the Sawai Koto Academy inherited his great energy and spirit, and the school continues to expand throughout Japan and abroad today. There are now approximately 3,000 members. As performers and teachers, these musicians retain the koto’s traditional classical style, while taking the instrument in a tremendous number of new musical directions, making substantial contributions to the growing popularity of koto music. Interacting with other koto schools and varied musical genres beyond traditional Japanese music they look to the future, exploring new possibilities for the instrument and the music of the koto, firmly establishing it a presence in the field of world music.
Contact Address
5-20-18 Kamimeguro, Meguro-ku Tokyo, 153-0051 Japan
Tel : 03-3712-3590
Fax: 03-3712-6370
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Tadao Sawai "koto" |
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