![]() ![]() She helped me discover the wonder of the biwa. I was simply captivated by my master and she taught me for an incredible twenty-two years, until just before she died at the age of 100. At first, it was hard because I didn't really understand Japanese but she was a truly wonderful person both in terms of her depth as an artist and her depth as a human being. "My master was seventy-eight years old at the time and it was the first time she had ever had a foreign student, but she made me feel welcome. Guignard this was a truly life-changing encounter. He began studying the biwa at Osaka University but, recommended by his professor to actually play the instrument rather than just study related material, he was then introduced to Kyokusui Yamazaki, a female biwa player regarded as one of the foremost experts of Chikuzen biwa music, who later became a Living National Treasure. Guignard came to Japan in 1983 on a scholarship funded by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Science, and Culture. It is a pear-shaped string instrument belonging to the lute family and has developed independently in Japan, evolving into several styles such as the Heike biwa, Satsuma biwa and Chikuzen biwa among others.ĭr. ![]() It is said to have made its way into Japan via the Silk Road 1,400 years ago. The biwa has a very long history and is alleged to have originated in Persia. I never imagined I would end up staying in Japan and becoming a biwa player." So why not get some experience in Japan for four years or so?'" He continues, "I also fancied studying something other than Western music, but I came to Japan not really giving it that much thought. Guignard explains, "What prompted me to start playing the biwa was my professor telling me, 'If you study the biwa and traditional Japanese music and culture, it will also deepen your expertise and understanding of Classical Western Music. He developed an interest in the biwa after being strongly influenced by a Japanese music scholar who taught him about the history of Asian music at the university, virtually on a one-to-one basis.ĭr. Guignard originally specialized in the music of Chopin. ![]() Silvain Guignard performs at a concert in Tokyo in January, 2012.Īt the University of Zurich in Switzerland, Dr. ![]()
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