Concerts
As usually the 2026 ESS Summer School will have concerts by the invited shakuhachi players and also performance options for the participants.
The main concert for the participants is taking place on the last day of the Summer School. The workshop groups (and teachers) will present together pieces they have studied in the previous days.
There will be four Open Mic Concerts one at each lunch time. Two of those will be programmed by prior to th event (application) and two by simply signing up on the day during the Summer School. The application process will be simple and announced to participants in May and also be available here on the website.
The teachers concerts will be on Thursday at the Embassy of Japan and on Friday and Saturday eveving at Parnassos Hall in central Athens. The second concert at Parnassos Hall will also feature several new works to be world premiered. The ESS would also like to thank Mr.Vratsanos for his invaluable support in facilitating the teachers’ concerts in Athens.
Thursday・23 July 2026 ・ 19:45 – 21:15
The Opening Gala Concert
20th Anniversary ESS 2006-2026
Special Gala Opening Concert at the Japanese Embassy in Athens marks 20 years of Summer School and shakuhachi activities of ESS. It features performances by teachers from the European Summer School, including invited guests from Japan, Jin Rei and Ashigaki Komei.
Alphabetical – not the concert sequence
Yugure no Kyoku 夕暮の曲 – Ashigaki Kõmei
Kinko-ryū Honkyoku | traditional – [10’]
Tsuru no Sugomori 鶴の巣籠 – Horacio Curti
KSK honkyoku | traditional – [7’]
Shika no Tōne 鹿の遠音 – Kiku Day & Tassos Tataroglou
Myoan | traditional – [10’]
Shisha no Kokyu 死者の呼吸 (Breathing of the Departed) – Yerasimos Dimovasilis, Fumie Hihara
for shakuhachi & koto | Y. Dimovasilis 2026 [4’]
Kibitaki no mori キビタキの森 – Philip Suimei Horan, Fumie Hihara
For shakuhachi 1.6 & koto | Miyata Kōhachirō [7’]
Shirabe ・ Sagariha 根笹派「調・下り葉」 – Jin Rei
Nezasaha | traditional [7’]
Taki-otoshi 瀧落 – Gunnar Jinmei Linder
Kinko-ryū honkyoku | traditional [10’]
Mushi Kuyō 虫供養 – Véronique Piron, Jim Franklin
Sakai Chikuho I, 1956 [10’]
Ririura 理里有楽 – Emmanuelle Rouaud, Thorsten Knaub
For shakuhachi 1.8 & 2.7 | Yokoyama Katsuya, 1978 [7’]
Ticket sales for the Parnassos Hall Concerts on Friday 24. July and Saturday 25. July are now open and available through the Ticket-Services website (Greek and English pages).
Please note: A full 4-day Summer School registration includes access to all the Summer School concerts. Day Pass holders will need to purchase concert tickets for Parnassos Hall separately.
Friday・24 July 2026 ・ 20:30 – 22:00
20th Anniversary ESS Concert 1
Silence to Sound – Japanese Music for shakuhachi, koto & shamisen
Mixed programme with focus on traditional repertoire
20th Anniversary ESS Concert 1 focuses on mixed programme of traditional shakuhachi repertoire as well ensemble pieces with koto, performed by Fumie Hihara.
Alphabetical – not the concert sequence
Sokaku Reibo 巣鶴鈴慕 – Ashigaki Kõmei
Kinko-ryū Honkyoku | traditional – [15’]
Kurokami 黒髪 – Ashigaki Kõmei & Fumie Hihara
Traditional, for shakuhachi & shamisen | Koide Ichijūrō [7’]
Honshirabe 本調 – Horacio Curti
KSK honkyoku | traditional – [5’]
Echigo San’ya 越後三谷 – Kiku Day
Zensabo | traditional [10’]
Hōkyō Kokū 鳳叫虚空 – Jim Franklin
Chikuhō honkyoku | traditional [8’]
Mine no Tsuki 峰の月 – Philip Suimei Horan
Tozan-ryū honkyoku | Nakao Tozan, 1946 [7’]
Koku 普大 – Jin Rei
Honkyoku Fudaiji | traditional [8’]
Motogaeshi 本返 – Thorsten Knaub
Dokyoku, Chikushinkai | Watazumido, 1977 [5’]
Hototogisu 郭公 – Gunnar Jinmei Linder, Fumie Hihara
for shakuhachi and koto | traditional, Yamada Kengyo [13’]
Nihon Minyō Kumikyoku Ichiban – Véronique Piron, Fumie Hihara
for shakuhachi and koto | Fukushima Yūjirō, ca. 1960s [6’]
Saturday・25 July 2026 ・ 20:30 – 22:00
20th Anniversary ESS Concert 2
Sound to Silence – Japanese Music for shakuhachi, koto & shamisen
Mixed programme with focus on modern and contemporary repertoire
20th Anniversary ESS Concert 2 showcases broad pallete of modern and contemporary shakuhachi repertoire in ensemble, improvisational and electonic contexts. It will feature three world premieres composers: Ramon Humet, Pavlos Venturas and Daniel Linker.
Alphabetical – not the concert sequence
ESS commision group piece confirmed as opening piece
WP ESS commission 2026
Celebration Dances – Teacher/ Participants Ensemble
Ramon Humet | 2026 | [7’]
Meikyo 明鏡 – Ashigaki Kõmei, Fumie Hihara
for shakuhachi & shamisen | Kineya Seihō 1975 [10’]
Improvisation I – Horacio Curti
Horacio Curti – [5’]
WP
Dark Side of The Moon – Yerasimos Dimovasilis, Julie Ventura
for shakuhachi and cembalo | Pavlos Venturas, 2026 [4’]
Branchings, 7th Dream – Jim Franklin
for shakuhachi and live-electronics | J. Frankin, 2024 [7’30’’]
Mujushin Kyoku 神如道生曲「無住心曲 – Jin Rei
Jin Nyodo, 1937 [8’31”]
Uguisu うぐいす Bush Warbler- Gunnar Jinmei Linder
Hayasaka Fumio , 1947 [10’]
Migration – Véronique Piron, Kiku Day
For two shakuhachi, jinashi & jiari | Véronique Piron 2018/2026 [5’50”]
WP
Bodaishin – Emmanuelle Rouaud
for shakuhachi and live electronics | composition: Daniel Linker; electronics: Matteo Amadio , 2026 [10’]
WP – denotes World Premiere
Ticket sales for the Parnassos Hall Concerts above are available through the Ticket-Services website (Greek and English pages).
Please note: A full 4-day Summer School registration includes access to all the Summer School concerts. Day Pass holders will need to purchase concert tickets for Parnassos Hall separately.
23-26 July 2026
Open Mic Concerts
The Open Mic’ Concerts aims to reflect our community and its diversity. It is a platform for everyone to take to the stage. At Athens 2026 there will be four open mic lunch time slots. The first two slots, Thursday and Friday, we programmed beforehand based on proposals we received; the slots on Saturday and Sunday will be offerend as a signing-up option on the relevant day (morning).
Bamboo, Bowls & Bells I
Ramon Humet
Ermita (Hermit) (R. Humet 2026)
I. Anhel (Longing)
II. Pelegrí (Pilgrim)
III. Ocells (Birds)
Sanrai Ensemble
(Dana Mazal Ziv, Itamar Foguel, Sana Vissar)
Emerge Together but Differ in Name (D. M. Ziv 2025)
Vincent Yūsui van Gerven Oei
Hōtaku 鳳鐸 (Meian Taizan-ha honkyoku)
Toyama Masahiro 藤山雅弘
Makiri 魔切 (K. Yokoyama 1978)
Bamboo, Bowls & Bells II
Christian Grabautzki
Sailor Moon Medley
(Arrangement of Anime melodies of Arisawa Takanori)
Dana Mazal Ziv & Daniel D. Lederman (cura)
Calling Across Mountains (D. D. Lederman)
Guna Paula-Rudāne
Kamogawa (John Kaizan Neptune)
Marty Regan & Philip Horan
Eight Turns of Breath (M. Regan 2026)
Bamboo, Bowls & Bells III
Saturday 13h30 – 14h00
Sign up on the day
Bamboo, Bowls & Bells IV
Sunday 13h15 – 13h45
Sign up on the day
Location: New York College
Kalithea, 177 78, Thessalonikis 286, Tavros 177 78, Greece
This participants’ concert has an open programme and reflects our community and its diversity. There will be four open mic lunch time slots this time.
Location: New York College
Kalithea, 177 78, Thessalonikis 286, Tavros 177 78, Greece
Programme: tba