Hōzan Yamamoto

Hozan Yamamoto (山 本 邦 山Japanese, Yamamoto Hozan; born October 6, 1937 in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, † February 10, 2014 ) was a Japanese shakuhachi player, composer and university teacher.

Life and work

Yamamoto began at the age of nine with the game, the Japanese bamboo flute shakuhachi, first instructed by his father, then by Chozan Nakanishi. After visiting the Kyoto Junior College of Foreign Studies, he took in 1958 at the World Folk Music Festival part, which was organized by the UNESCO. He then studied in Tokyo on the Seiha Music College ( completion 1962). In February 1964, he was involved with the Kotospieler Shinichi Yuize on the recording of Tony Scott Music for Zen Meditation plate. Despite establishment of the traditional trio Shakuhachi Sanbon Kai with Reibo Aoki and Katsuya Yokoyama he continued to crossover projects interested and has collaborated with such renowned musicians as Ravi Shankar, Gary Peacock, Yosuke Yamashita, Helen Merrill and Karl Berger, but also with the flutist Jean- Pierre Rampal and Chris Hinze. In 1980, he appeared with his trio on the Donaueschingen Music Days. With Wolfgang Mitterer at the organ, he played the album Masters of Zen: Shakuhachi & Organ one. In 1981 he composed the soundtrack to Samurai Resurrection. He has also composed for his instrument and was involved in more than 100 recordings. He is employed as a lecturer at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. He is also the head of the Hozan -kai Shakuhachi Guild.

Yamamoto, who has like no other with the possibilities to expand the Shakuhachispiel, has been in Japan awarded since 1975 with numerous awards, notably the Odaka Award for his recording of his Concerto for Shakuhachi and Orchestra (1977) and as a living national treasure ( 2002).

Disco Graphical Notes

• Tony Scott: Music for Zen Meditation ( 1964)
• Oriental Bossa Sounds a Union of Koto, Shakuhachi and Big Band (琴,尺八,ビッグ·バンド による スタンダード·ボッサ) ( 1968)
• Hibiki - Contemporary Music for Japanese Traditional Instruments (响-和 楽器 による 現代 日本 の 音楽) ( 1970)
• Keden (怪 颠) ( 1974)
• Kyorai (去 来) ( 1974)
• Bamboo Suite (竹 の 組曲) ( 1975)
• Ginkai (银 界) ( 1977)
• Kangetsu (寒月) ( 1978)
• Yosuke Yamashita / Yamamoto / Masahiko Togashi: Breath (1984 )
• Karl Berger / Yamamoto: Again and Again (1985 )
• Yosuke Yamashita / Yamamoto: Bolero (1986 )
• Saichi (1986 )
• Hozan Yamamoto vs. Four Men (1986 )
• Sankyoku (1990 )
• Mugenkai - Ginkai II (梦幻 界-银 界 Ⅱ ) ( 1996)
• Works of Hozan Yamamoto (山 本 邦 山 作品 集) ( 1996)
• Otoño (1997, with Javier Paxariño, Chano Domínguez, Nono García, Javier Colina and Tino di Geraldo )
• Yamamoto / Wolfgang Mitterer: Masters of Zen ( 1998)
• Fascination of the Shakuhachi (尺八 の 魅力) (2000 )
• Eternal Echoes