Welcome to www.torstenolafsson.dk

SHAKUHACHI - sites in Scandinavian languages:

There are many more interesting links to be found at the shakuhachi websites listed below.

www.shakuhachi.dk - Denmark
     My own Danish language shakuhachi site, launched on February 25, 2008 - intended to focus on Fuke Shakuhachi, Suizen and the Myōan Taizan-ha tradition in particular. In Danish.

Anders Nordin's Kyotaku site - Denmark
     Anders Nordin has introduced - and is teaching - Nishimura Kokū's Kyotaku tradition of Fuke shakuhachi in Denmark.
In 1998 Anders Nordin produced and released a unique CD presenting five Fuke Shakuhachi "Kyotaku" honkyoku recorded by Nishimura Kokū - purchasable via this website: www.kyotaku.dk.
In both Danish and English.

Jiri Klokocka's shakuhachi website - Sweden
     Jiri is a professional composer & sound engineer and has studied the shakuhachi with Gunnar Linder. In Swedish.

SHAKUHACHI - history, philosophy, research,
     making & practice - sites in English, German & Dutch:

Monty H. Levenson's Tai Hei Shakuhachi site - USA
     Do not hesitate to visit this site - Monty's got it all!

Kiku Day - Photo: Steve Double

Kiku Day's jinashi site - UK
     One foremost among the so far very few professional female practitioners of the shakuhachi, Kiku studied jinashi shakuhachi honkyoku with Okuda Atsuya in Tōkyō through more than 10 years. She took the initiative to create the shakuhachi discussion group "Euroshak List" on Yahoo as well as the first "Pan-European Shakuhachi Summer School" in London in July 2006. Furthermore, Kiku has played a central role in the formation of The European Shakuhachi Society, formed in 2007.
She is also the first female shakuhachi musician in the world who has publicly performed the shakuhachi part in Takemitsu Tōru's monumental orchestral work 'November Steps", in Odense, Denmark - January 2007.

Philip Horan's Shakuhachi Zen site - IRELAND
     Philip Horan completed a Masters in Ethnomusicology at the Irish World Music Centre in Limerick, focusing on shakuhachi acoustics and Japanese aesthetics. A skilled shakuhachi craftsman and player as well, Philip's writings regarding essential aspects of the shakuhachi represent highly recommendable reading.

David Sawyer's Japan Shakuhachi site - USA
     David Sawyer is an experienced supplier of fine shakuhachi flutes made by master Japanese makers to players both in the US and in Europe. Do also study David's very useful advice regarding flute care - and hand care!

Jem Klein's's Ho Setsu Shakuhachi website - USA
     After 15 years as an apprentice of Monty H. Levenson Jem Klein has established himself as as a most gifted, independent shakuhachi maker. His favoured material is 'tora-chiku", or Tiger Bamboo harvested in Shikoku.

   

Michal Slavicek's Shakuhachi | Jinashi site - Czech Republic
     Michal is a highly recognized professional graphics designer and photographer in the Czech Republic. A dedicated dōkyoku & Myōan Taizan-ha shakuhachi player as well - since 2003 Michal has been making shakuhachi and hocchiku flutes from the finest Chinese 'madake', especially.

Yung Flutes - USA
     Like Monty Levenson, Perry Yung is a very experienced and gifted shakuhachi maker and repair craftsman.

Ken LaCosse's Mujitsu Shakuhachi site - USA
     Yet another innovating shakuhachi craftsman, California-based Ken LaRosse, also writes most inspiringly about shakuhachi making.

The International Shakuhachi Society - USA
     Forum for - and about - shakuhachi players all over the world.
This site comprehensively illuminates the schools of shakuhachi,
the pieces, the people, the recordings, lineage charts - a shakuhachi glossary included.
The International Shakuhachi Society Annals Vol. 2 is now available.

The European Shakuhachi Society - England
     Forum for - and about - shakuhachi players in Europe in particular.
The 2nd European Shakuhachi Summer School in France in early July 2007 was succesfully organized by the ESS.

The Australian Shakuhachi Society - Australia
     Founded by Riley Kelly Lee - host of the World Shakuhachi Festival 2008.

Morimasa Horiuchi's Myōan Take Chicago blogspot - USA
     Morimasa Sensei, now a US resident for several decades, originally learned Myōan Taizan-ha shakuhachi from the renowned Tomimori Kyozan.

Jeffrey Bennitt Jones' Myōan Flute blogspot - USA
     Jeffrey Bennitt Jones is studying Myōan Taizan-ha shakuhachi with Morimasa Horiuchi in the neighbourhood of Chicago. Jeff is continuously adding more valuable information to his site regarding the actual history of the Myōan Tradition of Fuke Shakuhachi etc.

Dean Del Bene's Myōan Shakuhachi blogspot - USA
     Dean Del Bene is a Taizan-ha student of Morimasa Horiuchi whose teacher was Tomimori Kyozan.

Nancy Beckman - California, USA
     Nancy studied and mastered in Myōan Taizan-ha Shakuhachi under the guidance of Yoshimura Fuan Sōshin in 1972-76. One very special female Western shakuhachi veteran, indeed!

Shakuhachi Collegium - Czech Republic
     Shakuhachi Society of the Czech Republic.

Vatislav Matou?ek's Shakuhachi site - Czech Republic
     Vatislav Matou?ek is the foremost shakuhachi player in the Czech Republic - studied the shakuhachi with Mitsuhashi Kifū and Yamaguchi Osamu. He has released many records and obtained his PhD in music theory with a thesis entitled "Kinetics in Ethnic Music".

www.komuso.de
www.oliver-aumann.de
     Oliver Aumann studied the Itchōken Tradition of Myōan Shakuhachi, receiving his 'shihan' certificate in 2008 - in German.

Shakuhachi - German speaking countries
     Shakuhachi discussion internet group communicating in the German language.

Tilo Burdach - Bavaria, Germany
     Tilo Burdach studied the Kyotaku Tradition with Nishimura Kokū.

Anders Nordin's Kyotaku site - Denmark
     Anders Nordin has introduced - and is teaching - Nishimura Kokū's Kyotaku tradition of Fuke shakuhachi in Denmark.
In 1998 Anders Nordin produced and released a unique CD presenting five Fuke Shakuhachi "Kyotaku" honkyoku recorded by Nishimura Kokū - purchasable via his website: www.kyotaku.dk.
In both Danish and English.

Gunnar Linder's Chikumeisha site - Sweden/Japan
(new site under contruction)
     Born in Sweden, Scandinavia, Gunnar studied with Yamaguchi Gorō and received an M.A. degree in shakuhachi studies from the University of Fine Arts in Tokyo (Tokyo Geidai) in 1997.

Euroshak List - Europe
     Shakuhachi discussion list on the internet with Europe in focus.

www.shakuhachiforum.com
     Forum for shakuhachi discussions in general.

Kaito - Netherlands Shakuhachi Genootschap - The Netherlands
     The Netherlands Shakuhachi Society - in Dutch.

Ōno Ranzan's Fuke-shū Shakuhachi site - France
     Ōno Ranzan - alias Thierry Desroy - is practicing Fuke Shakuhachi in the styles of Tahahashi Kūzan and Fujiyoshi Etsuzan. His website is presented in both French, English and Japanese.

Riley Kelly Lee's Sound of Bamboo site - Australia
     Riley is an expert in the history and performance of the Chikuhō Ryū shakuhachi tradition. Riley's comprehensive and no less than outstanding PhD thesis "Yearning for the Bell: A Study of Transmission in the Shakuhachi Honkyoku Tradition" (1992) is now available online at his website.

John Singer's Zen Flute site - USA
     Do not miss the utter thrill of visiting John's amazing Shakuhachi Gallery with pictures and descriptions of rare and precious shakuhachi as much as 350 years old!
Click in the menu "Articles" to read more about antique shakuhachi and their superb sound aesthetics.

Christopher Blasdel's Shakuhachi website - Japan
     Christopher has published two books written in English: "The Shakuhachi, a Manual for Learning" & "The Single Tone - A Personal Journey Through Shakuhachi Music".
An English version of his third book "A Shakuhachi Odyssey", originally written in Japanese, is now in the works.

Alcvin Takegawa Ramos' Suizen site - Canada
     On this site Alcvin, a great hocchiku player and maker, presents many well-written essays on essential aspects of Suizen history, philosophy & practice.

Ralph Samuelson - USA
     Ralph Samuelson studied with both Araki Kōdō V, Yamato Shūdō and Yamaguchi Gorō. One of the true Western shakuhachi veterans.

Stan Richardson's Mujūan Dōjō site - Texas, USA
     Stan studied the shakuhachi with Ronnie Seldin and Kurahashi Yoshio and is currently head of the Mujūan Shakuhachi Dōjō in Texas.

Ronnie Seldin - USA
     Ronnie Seldin studied with Kurahashi Yōdō. Yet another of the true Western shakuhachi veterans.

Steve Casano's site - USA
     Steve majored in Ethnomusicology (2001) with the thesis of his entitled "From Fuke Shuu to Uduboo: Zen and the Transnational Flow of the Shakuhachi Tradition to the West."

John Neptune's shakuhachi site - Japan
     A shakuhachi craftsman and player in the Tozan style of shakuhachi, who else but John ever mastered the shakuhachi as were it a true Western chromatic flute?

Tom Deaver's Bei Shu Shakuhachi Workshop - Japan
     Like John Neptune: a master shakuhachi craftsman and representative of the Tozan Tradition, Tom ranks foremost among the real Western shakuhachi veterans, too.

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