AYUO ( Guitar, Bouzouki, Celtic Harp, Hurdy-Gurdy, Psaltery, Koto, Vocals, Words and Music )
Born October 19, 1960. He spent 1963-65 in Berlin and Stockholm and 1966-75 in New York City. He studied guitar first with Stanley Silverman and later with William Hellerman. He later studied the Japanese Biwa, Chinese Zheng, European Lute, and classical music composition. He joined “Fushitsusha”, an avant-garde rock group led by Keiji Haino in 1979. Since 1983, he has recorded over 15 solo albums for labels such as Midi, Epic-Sony, JVC Victor, Polygram, and others, in which he recorded with many internationally famous popular musicians such as Peter Hammill, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Carlos Alomar, David Lord, Danny Thompson, and members of Steeleye Span and Fairport Convention. His more recent music tries to show the ancient musical link on the silkroad from Europe through the Balkans to Persia, India, Central Asia, China, Korea, and Japan by exploring the possibilities of using ancient and traditional music to create new music. He now leads his own group for which he composes and plays Bouzouki, Hurdy-Gurdy, Guitar, and other instruments. In the 21st Century, he has released 3 CDs for John Zorn’s Tzadik label, which are available internationally. They are “Izutsu”, “Red Moon” and “Aoi”. They are sold in Amazon as well as in many stores that stock World Music, Avant-Garde music and new Psyshedelic music. His most recent release is called “E no Naka no Sugata”, which was released in Japan from a label called Zipangu. Detailed descriptions and reviews of Ayuo’s more recent CDs are available on the following pages. http://singersong.homestead.com/Ayuo.html
http://progressive.homestead.com/JAPANreviews2.html
Fumiko Kai (Violin)
Born in Tokyo. Completed the graduate course of Toho College of
music after receivingB.D. from the same college.
Won the 1st prize in the 3rd “Toshiya Eto violin competition”,
and the prize at the 5th competition for contemporary music players
held by JSCM as well as received the 12th Asahi contemporary music
award in 2003 and Aoyama Barookuzaru prize in 2003.She received Kranichsteiner Music Prize from the Darmstadt Music Institute.
Yoshiko Sato (viola)
Born in Hiroshima in 1973. After having an musical education under Ms.Kishiko Suzumi, Ms.Akiko Tatsumi,Ms. Sumiko Edo at Toho Gakuen School Of Music,Yoshiko Sato moved to Europe and entered
Frankfurter Hochschule in Germany in 1997. For further development, moved to study under Mr.Paul De Clerck at Royal Brussels Conservatory in Belgium where she started her career as violist in 1999, and joined in many concerts
of Ictus Ensemble, Prometheus Ensemble, Theatre Royal de la Monnaie etc. She was invited from all over Europe and worked with composers of today.In 2004, she recerived a scholarship from the Agency for Cultural Affairs of
the Japan Ministry. In 1997, awarded the highest award for young promising musician in Hiroshima and "Diploma di Merito" in Siena Chigiana accardemy. Since 2006, she lives in Tokyo.
