Artist Profile
Eri ItoShō player, improviser, composer
Eri Ito first encountered the shō, the mouth organ used in Japanese gagaku (imperial court music), while studying at the Tokyo University of the Arts, and she has continued to perform for more than forty years since. As a member of Tokyo Gakuso, she appeared on stages such as Suntory Hall and the National Theatre (active until 2008), deepening her command of classical gagaku. In 2011 she relocated from Tokyo to Nara, expanding her work through performances and collaborations in Japan and abroad. Her activities are diverse, ranging from votive performances at temples and historic spaces to contemporary music, improvisation, and performances across other genres. In recent years she has used a loop machine to develop a highly spatial and distinctive sound built around the sustained, droning tones and overtones of the shō.