Akikazu Nakamura

Akikazu Nakamura

Akikazu Nakamura studied under Katsuya Yokoyama and several masters of the komuso shakuhachi tradition. A graduate of the NHK School of Traditional Music, Nakamura went on to study composition and jazz theory at Berklee College of Music, graduating summa cum laude. He was then awarded a scholarship to pursue a master's degree in composition and third-stream music at the New England Conservatory. He has performed in more than 40 countries worldwide in over 150 cities under the sponsorship of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Japan Foundation, among others. While still grounding his roots in the classical tradition handed down by komuso monks, Nakamura regularly performs different musical genres including rock, jazz and contemporary music. Nakamura is one of the first shakuhachi players to make use of the circular breathing technique, Missoku, which enables him to breathe in as he plays the instrument, thus ensuring a continuous sound. He has published 4 books in Japanese about Missoku and other related topics. Nakamura has received much recognition for his performances and recordings: he was awarded the 19th Matsuo Performing Arts Prize; received the Columbia Golden Disc Prize for his CD entitled 'The World of Zen Music: Saji', and was twice honoured with the Prize for Excellence at the Arts Festival sponsored by the Agency for Cultural Affairs in Japan; in 1999 (for the 'Saji' recording) and in 2005 for 'The World of Zen Music: Sanya'. Also active as a composer and arranger, Nakamura has been commissioned by NHK, WDR (Germany), the Jean Sibelius String Quartet (Finland), and the Ravel String Quartet (France), among others.