Yano et Agatsuma: Opening Night Flagship Concert

Hiromitsu Agatsuma is Japan’s foremost virtuoso of the Tsugaru-shamisen, the thick-stringed shamisen prized for its percussive, blues-like drive. Born in Ibaraki Prefecture in 1973, he began studying the instrument at age six and won the All-Japan Tsugaru-shamisen Competition at fourteen, followed by back-to-back national titles in 1995 and 1996. His 2001 major-label debut earned Japan’s Traditional Music Album of the Year, and his boundary-pushing 2002 release BEAMS introduced his fusion of classical, jazz, and rock to international audiences. Agatsuma has performed in more than 35 countries and shared stages with Herbie Hancock and Marcus Miller, continually redefining tradition through innovation.