Katsuya Yokoyama

Katsuya Yokoyama was one of Japan’s most celebrated shakuhachi masters, renowned for his deep musicality and efforts to bring the traditional Japanese bamboo flute to international audiences. Born in 1934, he was trained in both the classical honkyoku tradition and modern styles, studying under respected teachers like Fukuda Rando and Watazumi Doso, and eventually founding the Kokusai Shakuhachi Kenshukan (International Shakuhachi Research Center). Yokoyama became widely recognized for his powerful, expressive playing and was instrumental in popularizing the shakuhachi through concert tours and recordings around the world.

Yokoyama also collaborated with prominent composers, most notably performing Toru Takemitsu’s "November Steps" with the New York Philharmonic under Seiji Ozawa in 1967, a groundbreaking work that blended Western and Japanese musical traditions. Throughout his career, he remained dedicated to teaching and preserving the spiritual and meditative aspects of the shakuhachi, cementing his legacy as a master musician and cultural ambassador before his passing in 2010.

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