About Hiromitsu Agatsuma

Agatsuma Hiromitsu ( 上妻宏光) (b.1973) is a Japanese musician, playing the tsugaru shamisen Born 27thJuly 1973 in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, Agatsuma began studying the tsugaru shamisen at the age of six, and won first prize at the 1988 All-Japan Tsugaru Shamisen Competition at fourteen. This was followed in 1995 and 1996, by top honors at the Tsugaru Shamisen National Competition. Despite the high acclaim he received in the hogaku, or traditional Japanese music world, for his accomplishments, Agatsuma did not rest on his laurels. He not only continued to explore the traditional aspects of his instrument, but also avidly experimented in fusing its sounds with diverse musical genres. In September 2001 he made his major label debut on Toshiba EMI with the eponymous "Agatsuma." This album, comprising five traditional pieces and five original ones, was named "Traditional Japanese Music Album of the Year" at the 16th Japan Gold Disc Awards. Currently he is broadening his field with over 100 annual concerts, sessions and media appearances both in Japan and overseas, while continuing to pursue the traditions of and innovation in the tsugaru shamisen. Media appearances include joint performances with artists from around the world; he was a guest at the Japan performances of Marcus Miller, and has performed with Larry Coryell, Nana Vasconcelos, Sarena Jones, and others.