Kaoru Watanabe is a Brooklyn based composer and musician, specializing on the Japanese taiko drum and shinobue flutes.
Born in St. Louis to symphony musician parents, he studied jazz flute and saxophone at the Manhattan School of Music while also performing with New York’s Soh Daiko. After graduating, he moved to Japan to join the internationally renowned taiko drum ensemble Kodo, performing the taiko, traditional Japanese folk dance and song, and especially the various fue (bamboo flute) such as the noh kan, ryuteki and shinobue. From 2005 to 2007, Kaoru served as one of Kodo’s artistic directors and worked closely with the legendary Kabuki actor Bando Tamasaburo, an experience that had a profound effect on his artistic growth.
Fumi Tanakadate is a taiko artist and pianist born in Japan and currently based in New York. She has been studying taiko with Kaoru Watanabe since 2011. With a unique combination of an extensive musical expertise in European Classical music and a background in traditional folk dancing, drumming and flute playing from her local festival in Japan, she quickly became an active member of Néo, Watanabe’s ensemble that aims to blend the nostalgic sound of Japanese traditional festival and theater and the interplay of complex jazz improvisations. She has performed at Joe’s Pub, ShapeShifter Lab, Nublu, National Sawdust and Pioneer Works. Fumi has collaborated with Yuu Ishizuka, Sumie Kaneko, Shane Shanahan, Chieko Kojima, On Ensemble, Alicia Hall Moran and Satoshi Takeishi and performed in Kenny Endo’s 40th Anniversary Tour. Most recently, she was on tour with Kaoru Watanabe and Yuta Sumiyoshi of KODO as a trio.
Crossroads Concerts
CALVARY CENTER
801 South 48th Street
(at Baltimore Avenue)
Philadelphia, PA 19143
Tickets: $10-$30 sliding scale
