DUO EN: Bios
EN - Affinity. Unity. Destiny
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EN is a duo bound to Japan, music, and each other, and specializes in sharing contemporary and classical music from Japan. EN's philosophy is to connect - to their audience, the environment, and the moment. Based in Seattle, En plays throughout the Pacific Northwest, and has toured to the Midwest, East Coast, and to Japan.
John and Elizabeth met when they began studying Japanese in 1974. They fell in love with each other, then fell in love with Japan. Since then they have lived in Japan for over a decade, studying Japanese music from master teachers including Sakata Ryozan, Sawai Kazue, Sawai Tadao, and Igarashi Ryozan. Their love for Japanese music and culture comes alive in their warm, intimate, inspired performances. John's shakuhachi flute and Elizabeth's koto create an elegant and meditative mood.
En plays at casual and formal venues. Performances include performing and recording with the Seattle Women's Chorus, composing original music for silent films, weddings, art openings, garden gatherings and festivals, as well as educational settings. Fees are reasonable; for your specific request, please contact en at duoen.com.
John - Shakuhachi (Bamboo Flute)
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John grew up in Portland, Oregon, and has loved languages ever since he can remember. His first memories of learning another language are from his Norwegian aunt, a schoolteacher who taught him Norwegian and Spanish when he was just five. He majored in Linguistics at the University of Oregon, focusing on Japanese and Russian. After spending junior year in Japan studying at Waseda Univeristy he graduated in Linguistics and moved to Japan with Elizabeth. After a few years of teaching English while he studied shakuhachi under Igarashi Ryozan he started his own company, Falconer Translation.
When he and Elizabeth returned to the states after 12 years in Japan, he earned an MFA in Translation at the University of Iowa Translation Workshop and spent a year studying Russian in Moscow, earning an MA in Russian Literature. John is one of the rare translators that is accredited to translate in both Japanese and Russian.
John sees music as another language, using his same keen ear for language to develop his musical skills. He enjoys playing shakuhachi as a respite from intense translation work at the computer, letting his eyes take in the woods around their Pacific Northwest home as he plays the bamboo flute. Nowadays when he visits Japan, John continues his shakuhachi studies with Sakata Ryozan in Tokyo. Nearly every aspect of John's life ties in with his love of music and words, and when he is not playing bamboo flute or translating, John can be found spending time playing word games with his sons and reading dictionaries for fun.
Elizabeth - Koto
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Elizabeth’s first instrument was the violin. She realizes that the "practice of practicing" is what she learned from her many years of lessons, and when she later encountered koto, she was able to use that discipline to become one of the few American koto masters in not just one, but two koto schools in Japan. She encountered koto after moving to Japan to teach English in 1979. She earned a junshihan (associate degree) from the Seiha Koto School in less than three years, studying intensely under Nagane Utayumi. This school focused on classical works. She later moved to Tokyo and studied under the esteemed Sawai Kazue and Sawai Tadao at the Sawai Koto School, and earned a Shihan (master’s license) at the Sawai Koto School, which focuses on contemporary works. Elizabeth uses knowledge from both schools in her playing. Her greatest mentor is the performer Sawai Kazue, who inspired Elizabeth to “find her own voice.”
Elizabeth holds a BA in Japanese Studies from the University of Oregon (where she met John at the freshman picnic and borrowed his Japanese dictionary), an MA in Japanese Pedagogy, and a PhD in International Education, writing her dissertation on koto teaching methods in Japan. Her works for koto are published in Japan. She has earned numerous awards for her work combining Japanese folktales with original koto music and has produced over 10 albums on her label, Koto World. Elizabeth enjoys collaborating with various artists and taking her koto into new situations, and has tourned internationally. In her free time she enjoys spending time outdoors with her family. Her elusive goal in life is to have the kitchen counter cleaned up for more than one day…but so far, she has not been able to do it.
Our Instruments - Shakuhachi and Koto
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The shakuhachi (bamboo flute) has a zen tradition in Japan. It is an end-blown flute with five finger holes and an oblique mouthpiece carved into the end. It has been used as an instrument of meditation since the 13 century in Japan and is also used for classical and contemporary music of all kinds. Its hauntingly beautiful sound is said to replicate the full range of natural life on earth. Its name derives from its length –one shaku, eight sun (ichi shaku hachi sun) long – about 1.8 feet long.
More information can be found at: http://www.shakuhachi.com.
The koto is the official national instrument of Japan. It is a 13-stringed classical instrument with a history of over 1,000 years. It is about six feet long, made from Empress Tree (Paulownia) wood, and is hollow, with a sound hole underneath. It is called a “dragon” instrument because of its shape. The strings – once made of silk – are played with three ivory picks on the right hand, while the left hand is used for changing the pitch and creating various ornamentations and effects. The music is closely associated with the love of nature found in traditional Japan. The instrument is thought to have originated in China, and there are many similar instruments like this throughout Asia.
More information can be found at: http://www.kotoworld.com