in musicology from New York University and has taught at Rutgers University, Westminster Choir College, Columbia University, Portland State University, and held an artist residency at Colby College. Wynn Kiyama (Executive Director, Portland Taiko and Director, Portland State University Taiko Ensemble) began his taiko training with the San Jose Junior Taiko Group in California and later studied with instructors in Japan, Hawaii, and New York. He is currently creating shakuhachi instruction and music videos and teaches at his studios in Portland, Oregon and in the Fremont district of Seattle. His repertory includes traditional Japanese honkyoku and folk songs ( min’yo) as well as Celtic, modern and original compositions. Trained in Japan, he is a composer, recording artist and performer who delights in sharing the serene and lyrical music of the shakuhachi. Larry Tyrrell is the foremost player and teacher of shakuhachi in the Pacific Northwest. Photo by André Mascarenhas SHAKUHACHI Larry Tyrrell Masumi is also a Japanese language professor and currently teaches Japanese language and culture at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Oregon. Masumi has participated in many recordings of Pink Martini, and has performed with the band at various venues around the world, including Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, and the Grand Rex Theatre in Paris. She also enjoys collaborating with various western musical instruments to explore a wide range of musical genres, from jazz and tango, to western classical compositions by Bach and Mozart. Masumi plays both classical and contemporary Koto music, and also sings Japanese classical songs with Koto and Shamisen accompaniment. She holds a Master’s Degree in Music with a specialization in the Koto and Shamisen from Seiha Conservatory of Japanese Traditional Music, one of the most prestigious Koto schools in Japan. Masumi Timson is a performer and instructor of the Koto and Shamisen – traditional musical instruments of Japan. In 2016, she was invited to 21C Music Festival in Toronto, Canada, and played with Continuum Contemporary Music. Her artistry is also featured on the album Shanti Samsara: World Music for Environmental Consciousness, produced by Grammy-winning Composer, Ricky Kej. In 2010, Dazai was featured on Oregon Art Beat and released two CDs - Autumn, Music for Solo Koto (2007), and Far Away…Romances for Koto (2010) in collaboration with Grammy nominated composer Michael Hoppe. Dazai moved to Oregon in 2002, serving as a guest lecturer at universities in Oregon, as an artistic director of new koto ensemble group, Oregon Koto-Kai (Japanese Koto Society of Oregon), and touring throughout the US, Europe, South America and Japan. Mitsuki Dazai is a graduate of Tokyo’s prestigious Kunitachi College of Music, studied koto with the world-renowned virtuoso Kazue Sawai, and received her certificate in koto instruction at Sawai Koto Institute. Mitsuki Dazai (Oregon Koto-Kai Instructor) Above all, Oregon Koto-Kai seeks to share their passion of koto with their community and beyond. The holiday concert weaves a traditional Japanese folktale with selected koto songs to express the story’s imagery.
In the spring they highlight traditional koto music, whereas the fall concert showcases more contemporary pieces. Each year they host three concerts in the fall, winter and spring. They collaborate with local musicians, improve players’ skills and add to the cultural diversity in the Northwest. Oregon Koto-Kai’s mission is to introduce Japanese koto music to the broader community by creating opportunities for people to attend concerts or take lessons. Since that time they have performed all over the state at multiple venues each year, including Portland Japanese Garden, Portland Rose Festival and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland. Founded by Mitsuki Dazai in February 2012, the ensemble held its first concert in Portland, Oregon. Oregon Koto-Kai is a group of people with a passion for Japanese koto, a 13-stringed zither-like instrument with over 1000 years of history. KOTO Oregon Koto-Kai Photo Courtesy of Oregon Koto Kai
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