Shakuhachi master Hozan Yamamoto is one of the most respected and innovative shakuhachi masters of modern times. He has pioneered new music for the instrument and extended its repertory, while remaining grounded in traditional music.
Hozan is also a prolific composer. His works for shakuhachi and other hogaku instruments reflect his unique musical sense and experience. These compositions are powerful and fresh (and easily accessible to one who has never heard traditional Japanese music) yet reflective of the richness of the tradition and the inherent capabilities of the instrument.
Hozan attended the Seiha Music Academy and graduated in 1962. Together with his colleagues, Reibo Aoki and Katsuya Yokoyama, Hozan created the Shakuhachi Sanbon-Kai trio in 1966. This group, all young performers in the classical style, provided an important stimulus to the conservative hogaku scene. They applied their considerable talents to a variety of cross-genre experimentation, including jazz, which lasted until the group's disbandment in the late 1980s.