Eitetsu Hayashi
After 11 years of performing in a group, Eitetsu started performing solo in 1982. In 1984, he debuted at Carnegie Hall as the first Japanese taiko drum soloist and gained international acclaim. In 2000, he performed with the Berlin Philharmonic in Waldbühne, Germany, and overwhelmed an audience of over 20,000. Since then, he has performed with many symphony orchestras and artists of different genres worldwide.
Eitetsu has pioneered the field of traditionally unprecedented taiko solos, including the Odaiko solo techniques and the creation of original techniques using a set of multiple taiko drums. He has developed a new genre of "Taiko Music" to be transmitted from Japan to the world, and is active in Japan and overseas. In 2018, he performed 6 concerts in 4 cities in the Japan-Canada Friendship 90th Anniversary Tour in Canada and in October performed in the official performance of the Japan-France Friendship 160th Anniversary Japan Expo “Japonisum 2018”. This year, he worked for production and recording as a concept video production staff for the “Tokyo 2020 NIPPON Festival”.
Eitetsu contributes to a large number of large-scale dispatches for introducing Japanese drum music and culture for each International Friendship and Exchange Year for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Relations Foundation, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
He has authored many publications, including the newly refurbished version of "Ashitano Taiko Uchie" (Hatori Shoten), autobiography "Taiko Hizuki-Dokuso no Kiseki" (Kodansha), and many other articles in journals and magazines. He has received the 1997 Minister of Education Prize for Arts and Culture, the 2001 Japan Traditional Culture Promotion Award, and the 2017 Matsuo Entertainment Awards.
#TaikoCelebration2021
NEWS
WTC 2020
WTC 2020 ONLINE AT A GLANCE
August 31, 2020
Due to the global pandemic, we decided to move the entire inaugural World Taiko Conference (WTC) online. Thank you for your patience while we figured out the best way to proceed with this new virtual format.
Around the world, we have all had to spend a lot of time at home and apart this year. It is difficult to travel, domestically and internationally, and playing taiko has been a challenge for most of us with limited opportunities to gather, perform, or practice at all. The WTC Committee would like to look at this challenging time as a chance to deeply reflect on taiko’s worldwide journey to date, which has seen it evolve into the art form that we enjoy today.
At the new-look online WTC, we aim to enrich and expand taiko culture, while strengthening the global taiko community through this forum for exchange.
WTC 2020 ONLINE AT A GLANCE
The new format will include a wide range of video, online forum, and livestream content before and during the conference.
Pre-WTC
In the lead up to WTC, enjoy:
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WTC Premium Talks by key figures in the global taiko world, sharing their thoughts and ideas about all things taiko, past, present, and future. (V)
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a Special Lecture by taiko performance pioneer Eitetsu Hayashi. (V)
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a WTC Free-Source Taiko Piece for everyone to play.
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a Taiko Community Video Forum, where everyone can share their own thoughts and ideas about various taiko topics. (V)
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a Taiko Composition Library, where anyone can share their own free-source taiko pieces for everyone to play.
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a Taiko Event Database, where you can find out about events held around the globe.
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the 4th Asakusa Taiko Festival in Tokyo with Nippon Taiko Foundation, co-hosted by the WTC Committee. (A)
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and more! (TBA)
During WTC (November 21–22, 2020)
Look forward to:
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Live Panel Discussions on both conference days. (L)
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the 24th Nippon Taiko Charity Concert with Nippon Taiko Foundation, co-hosted by the WTC Committee.
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and more! (TBA)
(L) Livestream content
(V) Video content
(A) Attendance in person only (no video or livestream planned at this stage)
Switching to an online format will allow us to connect with everyone safely, together apart.
The time to strengthen communities through taiko is now. We hope that this global virtual taiko conference brings the taiko community together like never before.
With the need to travel removed, we hope it’s easier for everyone to join in. We are really looking forward to welcoming you to WTC 2020 this November!
In light of these extraordinary times, WTC has decided to make the virtual conference free to attend. Removing the registration fees this year gives us the chance to welcome as many taiko friends as possible to take part online from around the globe.
Of course, the WTC Committee will incur costs to organize and run this conference. If you would like to support WTC 2020, we would sincerely appreciate your help to reach our crowdfunding goal: WTC Crowdfunding Page