Shakuhachi Special Concert

Shakuhachi recitals are held in a peaceful atmosphere, with candlelight, incense and temple bells. A mood of deep silence is held between the individual pieces.

Adrian’s solo shakuhachi recital program features classical Zen pieces such as Shingetsu(Heart Moon), Kokū (Empty Sky) and Daha (Breaking Waves), interspersed with original com-positions and improvisations.

Adrian lived for 7 years in Kyoto, Japan studying with renowned shakuhachi master Yokoyama Katsuya (1934 – 2010). He is also a composer and multi-instrumentalist and has collaborated with many musicians around the world.

The shakuhachi is a Japanese Zen flute with a unique and powerful sound that draws the listener into a place of intense stillness. The sound seems to purify the mind, connecting profoundly with the heart, and opening up the listener to a sense of inner space that is some-times difficult to find.

The shakuhachi has an ancient history, going back well over a thousand years. It has strong links to Zen Buddhist contemplative practice. Within this context the shakuhachi was consid-ered as more of a spiritual tool than a musical instrument.

Some shakuhachi pieces are serenely meditative and picturesque, while others are powerful and dynamic. Within the sound of the shakuhachi we can hear living nature – the autumn wind playing with dry leaves in a bamboo grove ... the cry of a soaring bird ... waves crashing on a distant shore ... an empty bell ringing in a still morning - and all expressed with great depth and nuance of feeling.

The sound of the shakuhachi leads us back to a simple essence of being. It touches the soul, purifies the mind and opens the heart, taking us to the edge of silence and beyond.

"Evocative, visionary, and of such stunning melodic purity that each note seems to hang, crystalline, in the air."
NATASHA KULER-VON-DER-LUHE  

"Adrian is a master, and his playing of the Japanese shakuhachi flute is a searing, spa-cious, zen meditation. Stunning melodic purity."
SUSANNAH DARLING-KHAN

"Truly wonderful."  
H.H. DALAI LAMA