ARTISTS
Satsuki Odamura
Satsuki Odamura is a koto virtuoso, who has pioneered the teaching and performing of this ancient Japanese instrument in Australia.
She was taught at the Sawai Koto School of Music in Tokyo by legendary koto players Tadao and Kazue Sawai, gaining her Shihan or master license in 1985. Since her move to Australia in 1988, she has inspired a number of Australian composers to write for her instrument, including Peter Sculthorpe and Liza Lim.
Satsuki has worked with a number of musicians from other genres, including jazz, classical and other styles. She is a member of the world music group Waratahwith Sandy Evans and Tony Lewis, the contemporary music ensemble Elision and the jazz fusion group GEST 8. Her performances in 2012 include the Four Winds Festival in Bermagui and “Tears of St. Peter” with the Song Company in Sydney.
She established the Koto Music Institute in 2007 to broaden and promote the appeal of koto music in Australia. Her koto ensemble, the Satsuki Odamura Koto Ensemble, based in Sydney, has performed widely around Australia and overseas.
She has recorded three of her own albums in collaboration with Australian musicians and, in the process, has found new and exciting contexts for this traditional Japanese instrument. Her most recent CD, Koto Dreaming, was released in 2006. In 2016 she was honoured to receive a special commendation from the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs for her contribution to strengthening friendship and goodwill between Australia and Japan.
Hitomi Kurosawa
Hitomi Kurosawa was born in Osaka, Japan. She has begun studying koto 1996 under both Satsuki Odamura in Australia and Kazue Sawai in Japan and achieved her teaching license from Sawai International koto school in 2010.
Hitomi has accumulated a wide range of performance experience in various formats, both as a soloist and member of the koto ensemble throughout country and overseas including taking part of koto solo with Full Symphony orchestra at the film award ceremony, the concert for His Majesty King Geiorge Tupou V in Tonga, Tedx Sydney, the Asian Dance and Music Festival in Sydney Opera House .
She is a Qantas flight attendant and also a mother of one. Her passion is spread Koto and share the joy of playing koto with lots of other people here in Australia.
Yukie Ota
Yukie Ota was born in Japan and moved to Sydney in 1997. As a child, she played piano from the age of 5 and clarinet form the age of 10. She has enjoyed music throughout her life.
She has joined The Sawai International Koto School in 2010 and been studying Koto under the guidance of Satsuki Odamura in Australia and Kazue Sawai in Tokyo since then. She plays both traditional 13-string Koto and Base Koto.
Yukie has performed at various events and festivals around Australia as a member of Koto ensemble, assisted Koto workshops to pioneer Japanese Tradition through the music. She also performs at private functions.
Yuko Yamamoto
Yuko Yamamoto is a member of the Satsuki Odamura Koto Ensemble since 2010, her first performance with the Ensemble was at the Conservatorium of Music with the ACO.Since then she has performed at the Inland Sea of Sound Festival in Bathurst (2011), the TEDX Sydney (2012). She regularly performs with Satsuki Odamura and her Ensemble in various Festivals such as Arts in Valley, Bello Winter Festival, also performed at ABC Radio National and the NSW Arts Gallery.
She is originally from Tokyo, Japan, but she spent her childhood in Asuncion (Paraguay), she also lived in Singapore for 6 years and moved to Sydney in 2007. She has been playing the piano from a young age, although her passion is the Koto. Her mentors are Satsuki Odamura and Kazue Sawai.
Dhondup Tsering
Dhondup Tsering first heard the koto in 2011, when a colleague invited him to a charity fundraiser in Sydney. Since then, he has been studying under Satsuki Odamura, progressing to play both standard 13-string and bass koto with the Ensemble.
Brought up in Nepal and India, Dhondup believes that the koto transcends cultural and geographical boundaries. He enjoys all aspects of learning, performing and discovering koto music. Dhondup also helps the Ensemble with its publicity and marketing.
Brandon Lee
Brandon Lee is a Japanese koto (zither) performer based in Melbourne, Australia. Originally from Malaysia, he started the koto while attending university in Melbourne. He eventually moved to Japan and was a live-in apprentice for koto virtuoso Kazue Sawai in Tokyo. In 2011, he officially obtained his teaching and performance license from the Sawai Koto School. In 2014, he graduated with a Masters of Music from Monash University.
Since moving back to Melbourne, Brandon has actively performed all around Australia, including Melbourne, Sydney, and Broome. He has performed at events and festivals such as, NGV’s Cool Japan, Broome’s Shinju Matsuri, and more. He has also performed internationally in Japan and America.
Brandon performs both classical and contemporary for the koto but he is also interested in cross cultural collaboration in music and has worked with musicians like Anne Norman, Peter Knight, Andrea Keeble, and Sandy Evans.