KOJIRO UMEZAKI
Shakuhachi, Composer
Noted by The New York Times as a "virtuosic, deeply expressive shakuhachi player and composer" and the LA Times as one of the "better kept secrets of Southern California music," Kojiro Umezaki (梅崎康二郎) has performed regularly with the Silkroad Ensemble since 2001. He appears on the Grammy Award winning album Sing Me Home, A Playlist Without Borders, Off the Map, and the Grammy-nominated 2015 documentary film, The Music of Strangers, directed by Morgan Neville. In a Circle Records released (Cycles), an album of original work, in 2014, and 流芳 Flow, a duo album with Wu Man, in 2021. Other notable recordings as performer, composer, and/or producer include Brooklyn Rider's Dominant Curve, Nicole Mitchell's Mandorla Awakening II, Kei Akagi's Aqua Puzzle, and Huun Huur Tu's Ancestors Call. Born to a Japanese father and Danish mother, Umezaki grew up in Tokyo, and continues to explore global and hybrid practices in music.