The Art of the Koto, Volume 3: Works for Nijugen
Nanae Yoshimurawas born in Tokyo and began to study thekotofrom the age of three, receiving her teaching license with the Matsu-no-mi Kai of Ikuta-schoolkotoperformance at the age of sixteen. She studied the classical repertoire forkotoandjiuta shamisenwithSoju Nosakaof the Kyushu lineage, and contemporary works forkotoandnijugen(21-stringedkoto) with Nosaka's daughter,Keiko Nosaka. She has been especially active as a specialist on the latter instrument since the early 1970s, always in search of new possibilities for musical expression and extending the horizons of the instrument.Born in Tokyo in 1950,Kifu Mitsuhashistudied Kinko-schoolshakuhachiwithSofu Sasakiand the classical honkyoku repertoire of the Fuke school withChikugai Okamoto. He is the recipient of numerous awards in Japan, holds the qualification ofshihan(master) in the Kinko school, and runs his own group forshakuhachiperformance, the Kifu Kai. He has recorded the 3-CD seriesThe Art of the Shakuhachion Celestial Harmonies.