Tsugumi Yamamoto
Yamamoto studied the koto and sangen under Ayako Kariya from an early age. As an intern with the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs’ Artist Training Program, she studied under 25-string koto pioneer Soju Nosaka, and since then she has primarily been active as a 25-string koto player. She has released the 25-string koto solo albums Tsumugu [Spinning the thread] and The Beginning (ALM/ACA National Arts Festival entry). Every year she holds a recital, where she presents new commissioned works by composers including Akira Inoue, Jyoji Sawada, Kumiko Takahashi, Kazuyuki Taguchi, Aki Mori, and　Makoto Nomura. She engages in projects covering a wide range of genres including contemporary music, improvisational performance, and pop music, always keeping in mind the integration of the koto and the self as she continues to communicate the appeal/explore the potential of the 25-string koto in Japan and overseas.