Reison Kuroda is a master of the shakuhachi, a traditional Japanese bamboo flute. Appointed as a Japan Cultural Envoy by the Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan in 2019, Reison’s career encompasses extensive collaborations with orchestras, annual solo recitals across the globe, and numerous world premieres of contemporary works. He studied under two renowned musicians who were honored with Japan’s “Living National Treasure” title: Reibo Aoki II and Reibo Aoki III.

Reison is the First Prize winner of the 2018 International Shakuhachi Competition in London, as well as the recipient of the Grand Prize at the Hideo Tone Memorial Japanese Music Competition. His recording credits include contributions to New Kabuki productions such as Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Final Fantasy X, and the Hollywood television series Shōgun (whose soundtrack was nominated for a Grammy Award), as well as multiple CDs and radio broadcasts.

He has appeared as a soloist at major international festivals, including ARS MUSICA (Brussels), performing works such as Toru Takemitsu’s November Steps, as well as Shakuhachi Concertos by Claude Ledoux, Denis Levaillant, Dai Fujikura, Kazutomo Yamamoto, Rafael Nassif, Hebert Vázquez and Yū Kuwabara’s Falling Moon Steps. Additionally, as an ensemble musician he is a member of Ensemble Muromachi (recipient of the 13th Keizo Saji Prize), Hougaku Quartet (whose first CD Teruyuki Noda: Works for Japanese Instruments was selected as a “Special Edition Disc” by Record Geijutsu magazine in December 2016, and released The Art of Sankyoku on OCORA/Radio France), The Shakuhachi 5, RigarohieS, and Doppelmond.

Languages spoken: English, Japanese

Photo credit: Ayane Shindo.