ARTISTS
IAN CLEWORTH
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Ian has been Artistic Director of TaikOz since its inception in 1997. In 2005 he became full-time with the group after having spent 20 years as Principal Percussionist with the Sydney Symphony and 16 years with the percussion group Synergy.
At age 19, Ian began Wadaiko study in Japan with Sen Amano of Yamanashi-ken and performed throughout the islands of Honshu and Shikoku with Amano’s ensemble, Arahan. Since then he has undertaken study and performance with Japan's greatest taiko soloist, Eitetsu Hayashi. TaikOz has an ongoing collaboration with Eitetsu since presenting the opening concert for the 2000 Sydney Festival, and a year later at the Kaikyousai Festival, Kobe, which marked the group’s debut in Japan. In 2004 Ian was invited to the Tokyo Summer Festival for a performance of Maki Ishii’s Monochrome as a guest member of Eitetsu Fuun-no-Kai.
With the Sydney Symphony Ian played under such conducting greats as Vladimir Ashkenazy, Lorin Maazel, Charles Dutoit, Mariss Jansons and Edo de Waart, and has performed in some of the world’s finest concert halls including Carnegie Hall, Boston Symphony Hall, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and London’s Royal Albert Hall. As a soloist Ian premiered and recorded Ross Edwards’ Yarrageh: Nocturne for Percussion and Orchestra and with his Synergy colleagues, Toru Takemitsu’s From Me Flows What You Call Time.
During his years with Synergy Ian was involved with the presentation of the latest works for percussion, including numerous premieres of Australian and international composers. With Synergy he toured Australia, the UK, Hungary, Sweden, Taiwan, Japan, Poland, Germany and Singapore and worked with some of the world’s finest musicians, including Fritz Hauser, Trilok Gurtu, Mike Nock, Hossam Ramzy, Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Kazue Sawai, Palle Mikkelborg and Dave Samuels. Ian was Co-Artistic Director of Synergy Percussion from 2000 until 2003.
In 2007 Ian received the APRA-AMC Classical Music Award for Long-term Contribution For The Advancement Of Australian Music.
RILEY LEE
Riley Lee was born in Texas, and lived in Oklahoma until 1966, when his family moved to Hawai’i. He began playing the shakuhachi in Japan in 1970.
In 1973, he began playing Wadaiko (Japanese festival drums) with the group Sado no Kuni Ondekoza, now called Kodo, performing throughout Japan and internationally for nearly four years.
In 1980, he became the first ever non-Japanese shakuhachi dai shihan (Grand Master). His shakuhachi teacher since 1984 is master Katsuya Yokoyama. Riley, his partner/manager Patricia Lee and their twin girls moved to Australia that same year.
Riley has a PhD (Musicology, Sydney University). In 2003, Riley became the first shakuhachi specialist to be invited by Princeton University (USA) as one of its Visiting Fellows, and he has been invited by Princeton’s Comparative Literature Department to return in 2009 to as a guest lecturer.
Over 50 of his recordings have been released on international labels. In 1997, he co-founded TaikOz with Ian Cleworth, and the Australian Shakuhachi Society with Patricia Lee.
Riley performs regularly in Australia and abroad, both as a soloist and in collaboration with other musicians, notably harpist Marshall McGuire, Trikaya, Synergy and TaikOz.
In 2005, he premiered Ross Edward’s shakuhachi concerto, Heart of Night with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, performing it again with the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra in April 2006. In January 2007, Riley performed to sell out audiences at the Sydney Opera House in Kaidan: A Ghost Story, a collaboration between TaikOz and choreographer Meryl Tankard. In 2008 he also appeared as a soloist in the world premiere of Gerard Brophy’s The Book of Clouds, with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Synergy and TaikOz.
Riley is the Artistic Director and Chair of the Executive Committee of the Sydney World Shakuhachi Festival 2008.
Riley and Patricia live in Manly NSW.
www.rileylee.net
GRAHAM HILGENDORF
Graham joined TaikOz in 1998. He traveled to Japan in 2001, studying under the guidance of Eitetsu Hayashi and performing with the group in Kanazawa, Kobe and Manno.
Graham is also a freelance modern jazz drummer and percussionist. After completing percussion studies at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music he founded the percussion ensemble B'tutta. Graham composes for B'tutta and TaikOz, including the popular Chi and Daichi that features the recently developed katsugi-okedo/chappa style. Apart from his performing and teaching, Graham is involved in coordinating TaikOz’s student classes, workshops and corporate events.
Graham spent most of 2005 living, studying and playing in Japan. He had the opportunity to study under Wakayama-ryu leader and master of the O-Edobayashi style, Kyosuke Suzuki. An interest in the traditional Hachijyo style of taiko playing took him to Hachijo Island for further study with Takashi Kikuchi.
MASAE IKEGAWA
Masae was born in Kagawa, Shikoku, Japan. At age 5 she joined Marugame Daiko where she
studied and performed many styles including O-Edo Sukeroku Daiko. Sukeroku style is characterized by dynamic, sharp and acrobatic movements created with whole body, and visually beautiful, stylish and elegant postures.
In 1997 she joined Manno Daiko, a taiko group based in Manno town, Kagawa. Manno Daiko performs original music as well as Kan Toko music, which involves graceful stick twirling and movements. Between 1997 and 1999 Masae performed regularly with Manno Daiko In Kagawa and Kansai area and toured to the USA. Deciding to travel, study and perform Wadaiko, Masae arrived in Sydney in 1999 and joined TaikOz in April 2000. She is now actively involved in teaching and performing.
Since 2000, Masae has regularly returned to Japan to study with many master Wadaiko players, including Eitetsu Hayashi, Kyosuke Suzuki (O-Edobayashi), Takashi Kikuchi (Hachijo Daiko), and Akio Tsumura (Miyake Daiko).
KERRYN JOYCE
Joining TaikOz in 2001, Kerryn performs as a taiko player, dancer, singer and fue player. Recent highlights have included performing nationally and internationally with TaikOz, premiering Gerard Brophy’s The Book of Clouds for TaikOz, Riley Lee and Synergy Percussion with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
She also worked with Australia choreographer Meryl Tankard on Kaidan: A Ghost Story for the 2007 Sydney Festival. In 2007, as part of TaikOz, she was invited to perform at Japan’s National Theatre as part of Eitetsu Hayashi’s 25th Anniversary celebrations.
Kerryn recently studied Japanese traditional folk dances with Kodo member Chieko Kojima and folk songs, lullabies and Ainu songs with Yoko Fujimoto of Kodo.
Kerryn is currently the Education Co-ordinator of Synergy & TaikOz Ltd, establishing events and opportunities for schools to work with professional ensembles including Synergy Percussion and TaikOz. She is a sought after performer and educator, taiko teacher and percussion teacher and eisteddfod adjudicator for the Optimum Percussion annual eisteddfod.
Kerryn graduated with a Bachelor of Music from the University of Queensland, a Postgraduate Diploma from the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University and continues to extend her studies in Japan.
Kerryn has written a number of works for percussion duo (Karak Percussion), taiko ensemble (TaikOz) and she has written and performed works for theatre/dance productions including Frank Productions and the Queensland Ballet.
KEVIN MAN
Kevin’s musical background includes the attainment of A.Mus.A diploma in piano, playing bass guitar in a rock band and classical percussion studies at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, graduating with a Bachelor of Music degree. Kevin joined The Queensland Orchestra in 1999, followed by TaikOz in 2002. In order to pursue his interest in Wadaiko Kevin left the orchestra in 2003 to focus on study of taiko, shinobue, and shakuhachi.
Recent study highlights include intensive Wadaiko training with Miyake Daiko teacher Akio Tsumura and Wadaiko and shinobue lessons of O-Edobayashi with Kyosuke Suzuki, Head of Wakayama-ryu.
Kevin has held numerous performing and teaching positions including Acting Chair of Percussion Unit, Sydney Conservatorium in 2005, and Acting Head of Percussion, Queensland Conservatorium in 2003. Kevin is active as a freelance classical musician, performing with groups including the Sydney Symphony and Australian Chamber Orchestra, and he is also involved in a contemporary percussion duo called Karak Percussion - a group he founded in 2001 with fellow TaikOz member Kerryn Joyce.
In addition to performing and teaching, Kevin is currently undertaking a Master of Music Degree in Shakuhachi under the direction of Riley Lee at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.
ANTON LOCK
Anton attended the Sydney Conservatorium High School and was the first student to perform on taiko for the HSC. He received top honours for his recital and was subsequently selected to open the proceedings at the Premier’s Awards and to present an item at the Opera House Encore performance – a concert given by the outstanding HSC musicians of 2003.
Anton has received instruction from TaikOz as well as Fuun no Kai member - and past TaikOz member - Kenichi Koizumi. He became a full-time member of the group in 2006, with recent highlights including performances with TaikOz and Eitetsu Hayashi-Fuun no Kai on their national Australian tour, performances at the National Theatre of Japan as part of Eitetsu Hayashi's 25th Anniversary celebrations, intensive Wadaiko workshops with Miyake-daiko teacher and performer Akio Tsumura, and the 2009 Kodo and TaikOz In Concert Australian tour.
In 2007 and 2008 Anton traveled to Sado Island and was taught Oni Kenbai, a traditional performing art of Kitakami City, Iwate Prefecture by Yoshikazu Fujimoto of Kodo.
TOM ROYCE-HAMPTON
Tom Royce-Hampton moved to Sydney to begin studies with the members of TaikOz in 2005. He worked closely with them in their rehearsal schedule and began performing with them later that year, becoming a member of the group in 2007.
Since joining TaikOz, Tom has travelled to Japan to further his studies in Wadaiko, including workshops with the head of Miyake Daiko, Akio Tsumura, as well as working closely with TaikOz and Eitetsu Hayashi-Fuun no Kai during preparations for Eitetsu Hayashi’s 25th Anniversary concerts at the Japan’s National Theatre
Tom completed a Bachelor of Music Performance at the Victorian College of the Arts School of Music majoring in Percussion. He studied with prominent Melbourne percussionists Sergi Golovko, Barry Quinn, Guy du Blet and Peter Neville and also drum set with Australian jazz great Graeme Morgan. He has performed extensively around Melbourne as a percussionist and drum set player. Tom has also been involved in many live and studio recordings including Mutant Theatre, contemporary percussion music by acclaimed Melbourne composer Anthony Paterus.
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