Conservatory of Music

Yoshio Kurahashi was born in Kyoto in 1949. He studied shakuhachi since childhood under his father Yodo Kurahashi and later under Homei Matsumura. His studies mainly included classic solo pieces based on the Buddhism tradition and traditional ensemble pieces with Koto and Sangen, but have also included contemporary pieces as a member of Kyoto Hogaku Group. He gave his first recital in Osaka in 1976, and received the Osaka Cultural Festival Award. He made his recital debut in New York in 1981.

Since 1981, he has presented many concerts outside of Japan, including performances in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, China, Israel, Denmark, Belgium, The Netherlands, Bermuda, Canada and USA. He has performed and lectured at universities and colleges including Queens College, Columbia University, Wesleyan University, Harvard University, Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Maryland, Tel Aviv University, Bar-Ilan University, Hebrew University, Nebraska University, Oberlin College, Emory University,and Smith College.

In 1995 he began annual workshops named Shakuhachi Intensive in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Boulder CO, Dallas, San Francisco, Portland ME and Montreal. He received the Kyoto City Arts and Culture Association Award in 1999 and New Age Magazine (USA) named his CD Kyoto Spirit "The Best Serene Music CD of the year 1999".

Since 2000, he has performed Japanese-Chinese music in the US and Europe with Chinese musicians including Wu Man, Gao Hong and Liu Fang. Japan's Embassy and Consulate General presented his concerts in Oklahoma City and Houston with Ayako Kurahashi in 2005, and in Ottawa with Yoko Itatani-Hirano in 2006.