Elizabeth Falconer
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth Falconer is one of the few American
masters of the koto
, a traditional zither from Japan
. Unusually, she is licensed in two koto schools in Japan
. She began playing the koto in 1979. She earned a junshihan (associate degree) from the Seiha Koto School, studying under Nagane Utayumi. This school focused on classical works. She later moved to Tokyo
and studied under the esteemed Sawai Kazue and Sawai Tadao at the Sawai Koto School, and earned a Shihan (master's license) at the Sawai Koto School, which focuses on contemporary works. She is an admirer of the work of Sawai Kazue.
Falconer holds a BA
in Japanese Studies from the University of Oregon
, an MA in Japanese Pedagogy, and a PhD
in International Education, writing her dissertation on koto teaching methods in Japan. Her works for koto are published in Japan. She has earned numerous awards for her work combining Japanese folktales with original koto music and has produced over 10 albums on her label, Koto World.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
masters of the koto
Koto (musical instrument)
The koto is a traditional Japanese stringed musical instrument, similar to the Chinese guzheng, the Mongolian yatga, the Korean gayageum and the Vietnamese đàn tranh. The koto is the national instrument of Japan. Koto are about length, and made from kiri wood...
, a traditional zither from Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Unusually, she is licensed in two koto schools in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. She began playing the koto in 1979. She earned a junshihan (associate degree) from the Seiha Koto School, studying under Nagane Utayumi. This school focused on classical works. She later moved to Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
and studied under the esteemed Sawai Kazue and Sawai Tadao at the Sawai Koto School, and earned a Shihan (master's license) at the Sawai Koto School, which focuses on contemporary works. She is an admirer of the work of Sawai Kazue.
Falconer holds a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Japanese Studies from the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
, an MA in Japanese Pedagogy, and a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in International Education, writing her dissertation on koto teaching methods in Japan. Her works for koto are published in Japan. She has earned numerous awards for her work combining Japanese folktales with original koto music and has produced over 10 albums on her label, Koto World.