Wataru Kozan Tanifuji
Shakuhachi Station
|Original Works|Shakulute | 2004New York Shakuhachi Festival |
| 2005 Japan Turkey Culture Exchange Association
Ankara & Beypazari Concert|
|
2005 National Flute Association Convention |
| 2006 The 9th Shakulute Concert in JRY with
MARC BERNER |
Born in Abashiri, Hokkaido, Japan, in 1945 Enjoys many kinds of musical instruments: Accordion, Ukulele, Guitar, Flute, Mandolin, Ocarina, Shakuhachi, Koto, Shamisen, Biwa, Tsuzumi, Taiko, etc. In 1974, at the age of 29, Kozan Tanifuji began studying Tozan-ryu shakuhachi under Kozan Takayama and then Ginzan Suzuki. In 1991 he achieved the rank of daishihan or grandmaster, and on February 14, 2004 earned the title of shin-Tozanryu chikurinken, the highest possible level in the world of shakuhachi. Mr. Tanifuji belongs to a number of hogaku groups(below) and performs many styles of music including Honkyoku, Shinkyoku, Jiuta and Modern hogaku. For 19 years, since 1977, he has instructed a junior high school wind ensemble and performed the shakuhachi in the piece "Figuration for Shakuhachi and Brass" composed and conducted by Tetsunosuke Kushida of Kyoto. He also conducted "Dokan" in 2001 and "Nichiren" in 2002 composed by Michio Miyagi at the Kitami Art and Culture Hall in Hokkaido, Japan. Mr. Tanifuji has played the western-style Boehm flute since 1961. In March, 2003, he began working with the shakuhachi headjoint for silver flute devised by Monty Levenson. Kozan has wanted to have such an instrument for a long time and named it "Shakulute". During the past year, he has composed several musical pieces for this new hybrid instrument. A CD of original compositions for shakulute, biwa and koto was scheduled for release in summer in 2004. ( revised by Monty Levenson for 2004 New York Shakuhachi Festival web site) In June, 2005, he went to Turkey to perform there three times in Ancara City and Beypazari City. Kozan, Tazuko Yozan Tanifuji, and Kanae Ochi were invited by Japan Turkey Culture Exchange Association. In August, 2005, he performed the shakulute in San Diego, California. John Kaizan Neptune and Kozan were invited by National Flute Association. They played with koto players, Reiko Obata and Masayo Norikura. In May 11th, 2006, Marc Berner and Kozan had a shakulute concert with Kanae Ochi, a koto player Tazuko Tanifuji, a biwa player Hirotoshi Umeda, a shakulute player at JRY media theater in Kami-Yubetsu, Hokkaido, Japan. He belongs to: Kozan-kai (Instructor) Hogaku"Miyabi-kai"(Representative & Inspector) Hougaku"Brillant Accord CANON" (Tetsunosuke Kushida composed two other compositions for us shakuhachi, koto, and 17gen.) Wa no shirabe(Japanese Tune)"Fuga" Hokurin-kai Engaru Junior High School Hogaku-club (Instructor) Engaru Shakuhachi Circle(Instructor) Jiuta-kai Engaru Sankyoku-Kyokai ![]() ![]() |