Satsuki ODAMURA
koto
Satsuki Odamura is a Master of the Koto, and as representative of the
Sawai International Koto School has pioneered the introduction of teaching and
and performing on this ancient Japanese instrument to Australian students,
musicians and audiences since 1989.
The koto is a zither-like instrument two metres in length which has thirteen
strings, originally made of silk. It is constructed of paulownia wood with
movable bridges and is played with ivory picks. The bass koto has seventeen
strings.
Satsuki underwent the discipline of being a live-in student at the home of her
teachers Tadao and Kazue SAWAI. This has influenced her performances and her
approach in collaboration with other artists.
She has worked with Australian, European and Asian artists worldwide.
She is a member of the ELISION contemporary music ensemble;
Nadoya, a music/theatre/dance group; Shashaten, with Butoh dancer Yumi
UMIUMARE; the music-fusion group Sangam, and the cross-cultural group Slivanye.
Satsuki has performed with symphony orchestras, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, with Synergy,
shakuhachi player Riley LEE, Jim DENLEY (flute), and Greg DICKMANS (baroque
recorders).
Foremost among Satsuki's aspirations is to create the potential for people
who have no previous knowledge of the koto or its cultural setting to compose
music for the instrument. She believes that these people are able to create new
directions for the koto, which would be impossible for any Japanese to
conceive.
Australian composers who have written for her instrument include Peter
SCULTHORPE, Carl VINE, Barry CONYNGHAM, Michael ASKILL, Anthony BRIGGS,
Anne BOYD, Sarah de JONG, Liza LIM and Anne NORMAN.
Satsuki Odamura has recorded two compact discs: Like a Bird
(Tall Poppies), of works by Japanese contemporary composers; and
Burning House (on the Australian Music Centre label Vox Australis) after
the title piece by
Liza LIM, a world-first CD which consists entirely of works by Australian
composers. She is featured on the CDs Sisters (Celestial
Harmonies), Earthcore II (EMI/ABC). In 1997 she also released
Picture Dreams with Riley LEE.
Satsuki has performed at Festivals in and outside of Australia: Melbourne,
Adelaide, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Bellingen, WOMAD, and in Berlin,
Bayreuth, Hong Kong, Bang on a Can in New York and in
Huddersfield. She has toured Germany, Norway, Austria,
Italy, Russia,
Indonesia, Thailand and throughout Japan. In 1997 Satsuki will performed in
Norway, Japan, Bayreuth, Perth, Sydney and Melbourne.
She also teaches the koto in Sydney and at Monash University in Melbourne,
and gives sessions for shakuhachi players wishing to be accompanied by the
koto.
April 1997
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