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We regret to announce that Kodo’s dear friend and Swiss concert producer for over four decades, Maria Zehnder, has passed away. We have known Maria since the days of our antecedent group, Sado no Kuni Ondekoza, and she has been the driving force behind our Kodo’s performances in Switzerland since the very beginning.

Maria and Ondekoza crossed paths for the first time in 1979 at the Montreux Jazz Festival, where she was working as a publicist. She was deeply moved by Ondekoza’s artistry, philosophy, and way of life. From 1984 onwards, Maria served as Kodo’s Swiss agent, inviting our group to perform there on a regular basis. Thanks to her, there have been 83 Kodo performances in cities throughout Switzerland between 1984 and 2026, including our upcoming performances in Lucerne in March.

The entire Kodo group is deeply grateful to Maria for her kindness and hospitality over the course of many years. We pray that she rests in peace and love.