Background
He was initially taught by his father and then by Chozan Nakanishi.
山本 邦山
He was initially taught by his father and then by Chozan Nakanishi.
After graduating from Kyoto Junior College of Foreign Studies in 1958, he participated in United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization"s World Folk music Festival and graduated from Seiha Music College in 1962.
Yamamoto started playing the Japanese bamboo flute shakuhachi from the age of nine. After formation with Reibo Aoki and Katsuya Yokoyama of the widely acclaimed "Shakuhachi Sanbon Kai" trio in 1966, he electrified the conservative traditional scene by applying his talents to a variety of crossover collaborations. In 1980 he was invited to the renowned Donaueschingen music festival with his trio.
He served as lecturer at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music and as head of the Hozan-kai Shakuhachi Guild.
In 2002 he became designated Living National Treasure of Japan. In 2004, he was awarded a Medal with Purple Ribbon.
In 2009, he was awarded an Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette. On February 10, 2014, he died at a hospital in Tokyo.