Profile

Shunsuke Kimura

Shunsuke Kimura is one of the most acclaimed composers for and performers of traditional instruments in Japan today. He has travelled to every corner of Japan to find the various melodies, rhythms and styles of carnival and folk music which he has assimilated into hisown music-making.

His melodies are haunting and characterised by an ethereal serenity. His works tell a variety of nostalgic stories and he expresses the poetic image in nature, scenery and seasons with delicate nuance of colour and sounds. He performs actively in Europe, USA and Asia in collaboration with local artists.

Shunsuke won the Grand Prix Award at the 2nd ADD Tsugaru-Shamisen Contest in 2002. In 2005, Shunsuke directed a live performance at the "Sense of Wonder" World Environmental Film Festival at Aichi Expo. In November 2006, he was commissioned to write the music and lyrics for "AMATERASU", a special theatre project for the 25th anniversary of Kodo, the world famous taiko group, which featured a guest appearance by Bando Tamasaburo, the star kabuki dancer, in the female role. Because of its great success, the performance was repeated in August 2007 at Kabuki-za Theatre Tokyo. Also in 2006, as part of a festival arranged by the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs Awards, Shunsuke composed music for a contemporary kabuki dance show "Ouna" featuring Hanayagi Tsurusuga, a noted kabuki dancer with poems by Suzue Miuchi, author of the popular manga Galasu no Kamen. Recently Shunsuke’s activities have been broadcast in NHK’s （Japan Broadcasting Corporation） programme "Geijutugekijo".

by Akiko Yanagisawa

Shunsuke Kimura x Etsuro Ono is promoted by mu:arts
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