Satō Seibi

佐藤睛美

1/6/1906 - 10/25/1983

尺八

Satō Seibi was born January 6, 1906 in Kokura City, Kyūshū, Japan. In 1919, he began studying Kinko-ryū honkyoku under Kudo Kazan and received his shihan (master teaching license) two years later at the age of 15. In 1922, he studied voice and piano with Fujii Kyomi and continued his shakuhachi studies in 1925 with the renown master Yoshida Seifū from who whom he received a daishihan in August, 1929. In 1930, he studied extensively with the great player and teacher Miura Kindō.

Satō-sensei’s life was completely devoted to shakuhachi in a wide variety of venues. In 1926, he formed a contemporary music group with Hiratao Tomihiro and three years later began teaching shakuhachi at Tokyo Shokadai (Tokyo University of Commerce). Soon thereafter, he moved to Taiwan where, as a cultural ambassador, he lived and taught in Taipei, performing widely throughout in the Republic of China. While in Taiwan, Satō broadened his shakuhachi studies with Aoki Shingetsu upon recommendation by the great player Tani Kyochiku.

Returning to Japan some years later, Satō did extensive recording work at Polydor Recording Co. and radio broadcasting at Nihon Hoso Kyokai (NHK). He also headed two shakuhachi regional composers associations in the Osaka area. Much of his time and energy was spent running the publishing company Kinkosha that he established as a source for the dissemination of shakuhachi honkyoku, sankyoku and modern music that included many of his own compositions and arrangements.

Satō Seibi created a distinctive style of Kinko notation influenced by Kinko III, Ikeda Ishi, Yoshida Icho, Araki Kodo II (Chikuo), Araki Kodo III (Shinnosuke), Miura Kindo and Mizuno Rodo. He consolidated and unified their unique systems for Kinko honkyoku. Toward the end life, in spite of deteriorating health, Satō traveled to the United States in 1980 doing a ten-day concert tour on the East Coast of America. He passed away on October 25, 1983.

先生

教え子

1893 - ????

1929 -

1929 -