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Yukihiro Isso was born into a family of nohkan flute virtuosi. Nohkan is the traditional transverse flute which is used to accompany Japanese Noh drama. Yukihiro is the eldest son of the late Yukimasa Isso, a national treasure and a legendary nohkan performer. The origin of the Isso school dates back to the Azuchi Momoyma era (1573 – 1603) and from this time the school has continued down to today without a break.
Yukihiro debuted at the age of 9 as a professional nohkan performer in Kurama Tengu and from this early age carried on performing major classical Noh repertoires such as Okina and Dojoji.
Apart from being an a…cclaimed performer of classical Noh repertoires Yukihiro is keen on the diversity of the flute family. He also plays the shinobue and dengaku (traverse bamboo flutes used for traditional festivals across Japan) and a variety of western flutes including the recorder. He even makes recorders and a type of horn and composes music for these instruments.
Mochizuki Takinojo is a Japanese traditional musician who plays diverse types of percussion, in particular Ko-Tsuzumi and Taiko. He is principally involved with Kabuki and Japanese traditional music, occasionally veerings towards jazz and rock music. Takinojo also seeks out possibilities for incorporating his instruments into popular music. Highly active in the sphere of international cultural exchange and the education milieu, he has many pupils and regularly gives instrumental workshops.
Leon Michener is a London born pianist and composer. His unique and often scatalogical approach to music encompasses art, video and electronics and seeks to push beyond the boundaries of what is technically and sonically possible on the traditional piano. Acquiring a Moog synthesiser at the age of fourteen by saving a years worth of pocket money gave him a grounding in electronics and ensured that his early classical training was anything other than ordinary, and lead him to explore many different musical styles at a young age.
Electronic music was briefly put on hold upon enrolling at Trinity College of Music where he concentrated on pianistic studies under british musician John Bingham. He quickly developed a love of 20th century classical music which, as well as gigs as a Jazz pianist, helped shape his debut recording which fused classical works with improvisations.
Since leaving College he has worked with a large array of international artists and musicians in the capacity as pianist, composer, band leader, arranger, musical director and sound designer.
Recently he has returned to his electronic past with the Klaviervox invention, a hybrid electroacoustic piano fusing vintage electronics and prepared piano, enabling the pianist to create live the sounds and music that are normally associated with dance and experimental electronica. A series of solo concerts commenced in 2012, including a collaboration with Techno DJ Jamie Bissmire before finally culminating in an appearance at a classical festival night celebrating the John Cage Centenary.
2011 also saw the release of an improvised piano concerto with the London improvisers Orchestra conducted by Steve Beresford, live premiere recordings of classical works by British composers for BBC Radio 3, and the debut in Stockholm Museum of Modern Art of the Pianoscope, a unique custom designed digital system that allows video to be directly controlled and manipulated by the piano keyboard.
The Klaviervox approach was extended to the clavichord resulting in an unusual electronic Baroque instrument capable of microtonal and abstract soundscapes, of which an album of which will be released in 2013.
He currently performs with the Olie Brice quartet and the Seaming To band and is active on the improvised and experimental music scene in Europe and the UK.
2013 will also see the debut of the R.A.Y. ensemble, an analog synthesiser group performing the electronic music of american pioneer Raymond Scott, as well as albums featuring the Klaviervox and electric clavichord.
