Tsuruta Kinshi

The late Satsuma biwa master, Tsuruta Kinshi, was a major force in injecting new life and energy into this unique tradition of Japanese music. As well as creating a new, more aggressive and technically demanding playing style, she improved the acoustics of the biwa by modifying the string positions and size.

In 1967, Tsuruta sensei first played on the piece November Steps with shakuhachi master Katsuya Yokoyama, composed by Takemitsu Toru. This was the first time traditional Japanese musical instruments were combined with western orchestra. Through November Steps, Tsuruta Kinshi exposed the world outside of Japan to the deep beauty of the biwa.
Return to Bamboo In