Biography
The LA Koto Ensemble is based in Los Angeles, California and was founded by Yuki Yasuda in 2016. The ensemble members enjoy and perform koto music at various Japanese cultural events and music festivals every year.
Yuki was born in Japan and began playing the koto at the age of twelve. She majored in koto music at the Takasaki Junior Arts College and also learned from Tadao Sawai and Kazue Sawai, masters of the great modern koto music. She also served as an uchi-deshi (special student) at the Sawai Koto Institute. Yuki has an extensive concert performance track, highlighted with numerous, recordings, and TV appearances throughout Japan.
Since moving to New York in 2009, and then to Los Angeles in 2014, Yuki has performed extensively as a soloist, with ensemble groups, and has collaborated with musicians and composers of various genres. Moreover, she has toured in Argentina, Honduras, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Germany, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Russia.
Yuki offers koto lessons in Los Angeles and is eager to spread Tadao Sawai’s tremendous koto music all over the world.