PROFILE プロフィール

クリストファー遙盟 /Christopher Yohmei

Profile

Christopher Yohmei Blasdel began the shakuhachi and studies of Japanese music in 1972 with Japan’s Living National Treasure Goro Yamaguchi and continued with the master until his death in 1999. In 1982, Blasdel received his MFA in ethnomusicology from Tokyo University of Fine Arts and was honored with the professional name “Yohmei” from Yamaguchi in 1984—the first of only two non-Japanese accredited by Yamaguchi. Presently, Blasdel performs around the world and has taught or lectured at such prestigious institutions as Earlham College (Indiana), Chulalongkorn University (Bangkok, Thailand), Texas A&M University (College Station, Texas), University of Washington (Seattle), Charles University (Prague), Salisbury University (Maryland), Seijo Gakuen University (Tokyo), International Christian University (Tokyo), Temple University (Tokyo) and others.

Believing above all in the necessity of balance in music and the connective threads that course through all the arts, Blasdel has mastered many genres, including traditional shakuhachi music, modern compositions, improvisation and cross-genre work with other musicians, dancers, poets and artists. His discography includes a selection of CDs featuring traditional, contemporary and experimental music. He has composed and performed music for NHK documentaries and various films.
Yohmei Blasdel is the author of two major books: The Shakuhachi, A Manual for Learning. (Originally published in 1986 and re-published in 2008 by Printed Matter Press), the foremost English language book on the shakuhachi and The Single Tone – A Personal Journey Through Shakuhachi Music (Printed Matter Press, 2005 – originally published in Japanese as Shakuhachi Odessei by Kawade Publishers, 2000 and winner of the prestigious Rennyo Award for non-fiction), which details his experiences learning and playing the shakuhachi in Japan and around the world.

Blasdel co-organized the World Shakuhachi Festival ’98 held in Boulder, Colorado and was a member of the executive committee for the World Shakuhachi Festival, Sydney, 2008. He was the senior advisor to the yearly Prague Shakuhachi Festival from 2006 to 2016. In July, 2004, he was one of the featured musicians at the Sarawak Rainforest World Music Festival and will be a featured artist at the London World Shakuhachi Festival, 2018. Presently, he teaches Japanese music at the University of Hawai’i, Mānoa. Blasdel holds a 4th degree black belt in Aikido.

Blasdel is available for concerts, lectures and demostrations of traditional or contemporary Japanese music for scholastic or general audiences. Solo or ensemble performances, consisting of some of Japan’s best musicians, can also be arranged. For further information please contact Christopher Yohmei Blasdel.

（日本語の紹介）
在日尺八奏者。アメリカ、テキサス生まれ。1972年に来日。竹盟社宗家・人間国宝故山口五郎師に師事つつ、８２年、東京芸術大学大学院を修了、国内、中国、東南アジア、旧ソ連、ヨーロッパ、カナダ、アメリカ、インド等で演奏し、また国際交流基金等による派遣・招待によって各国の大学や教育機関にて日本音楽の教授活動を行う。古典を継承する一方で尺八という楽器の可能性を探って、他の分野の芸術家たちとの共演も多い。 CDは「NAVARASA」、「Breathplay」、「浩々妙音」（ブライトワン・レコーズ）、「迦楼羅の夜」、「遙なる笛」（テイチク）、と「禅問答」などが発売。著書は、「ザ・尺八ー演奏習得の手引き」（2005年、音楽之友社）、The Single Tone, A Personal Journey into Shakuhachi Music （2005年、Printed Matter Press）、「尺八オデッセイ—天の音色に魅せられて」（蓮如賞受賞作品、河出書房新社出版、2000年）、英語の尺八学習のテキスト＆参考書、The Shakuhachi, A Manual for Learning（2008年、Printed Matter Press）、「ボルダー国際尺八音楽フェスティバル’９８」と「シドニー国際尺八フェスティバル‘０８」などの実行委員。国際文化会館芸術監督を２５年間務めた。現在、ハワイ大学非常勤講師（日本音楽）、2022年潮州ワールド尺八フェスティバルのシニア・アドバイザー。合気道四段。

共演した芸術家たちの例：
山本邦山（尺八）、芝祐靖、（龍笛）、平井澄子（三味線）、藤井久仁江（三味線）、ランツ・バートロミュー（チェロ）、佐藤充彦（ピアノ）、吉沢元治（ベース）、ハムサ・エル・ディン（ウード）、デヴィッド・フリーゼン（ベース）、レネ・マックリーン（サックス、フルート）、高橋悠治（ピアノ）、田中悠美子（太棹三味線）、宮田まゆみ（笙）、きむら　みか（声）、小原孝（ピアノ）、新井英夫（ダンス）、笠井　叡（舞踏）、神崎ひで女（地唄舞）、大岡信（詩人）、細江英公（写真家）等。

[Official Site]
http://www.yohmei.com/?language=en
http://www.yohmei.com/jp-homepage/?language=jp