Yuta SUMIYOSHI Music Director
Profile
Yuta Sumiyoshi is the Music Director of Kodo Taiko Performing Arts Ensemble. He started playing taiko in his second year of elementary school and moved to Sado to enter Kodo Apprentice Centre in 2010. Sumiyoshi went on to become a Kodo member in 2013. On stage, he is featured mainly on taiko drums and bamboo flutes. Known by colleagues as Kodo’s “sound maker,” Sumiyoshi strives to enhance the musicality of Kodo performances. He has composed many pieces that feature prominently on the Kodo stage, such as Yui, Meguru, and Ayumi.
Sumiyoshi has directed several of Kodo’s main stage productions, including “MEGURU” (2018), “Kodo Performance in Asakusa: Ayumi” (2021), and “Mountains” (2024). In 2022, he also served as Music Director for “Kodo One Earth Tour: Cycles.”
Sumiyoshi has a keen interest in experimental music and sound art, always looking beyond taiko music to explore new forms of expression. In 2022, he spearheaded the launch of Kodo’s experimental music label 0on (Zero On) and has been the driving force behind a range of Kodo ensemble and solo/small group recording projects as a director, performer, and sound engineer. He also collaborates with fellow Kodo member Kenta Nakagome on two improv-centered projects: duo Kentataku Yutataku and trio iiiZØ (pronounced “mii-zō”) with dancer Mayumu Minakawa. His curiosity and adventurous approach continue to bring fresh energy and innovation to the Kodo stage.
In 2021, Sumiyoshi received the Kagawa Prefecture Culture and Arts Newcomer Award.
Photo Gallery
