Reiko Obata Japanese Koto Player
Healing harp music therapy has the support of many harp players and the Angel Harps annual benefit concert performers include some of the best harpists in the world.
Angel Harps was thrilled to have koto player, Reiko Obata as one of our talented concert performers in 2004 & 2005.
Reiko Obata has been playing the traditional and contemporary music on the Japanese koto for more than 20 years.
This koto player studied under masters in both the U.S. and Japan such as Mde. Masazumi Mizuno in San Diego, Mde. Kayoko Wakita in Los Angeles, and composer virtuoso Shinichi Yuize in Tokyo.
Obata also studied music at San Diego State University and the Seiha Conservatory of Japanese Music.
Her works include Serenity, Sound of Kiri and East West.
Her DVDs include You Can Play Koto and Chieko and the Pine: A Japanese Folktale which is also available as a book, Chieko and the Pine.
Above: Koto player Reiko Obata performs with two other zither players.
Japanese Koto
The Japanese koto is a zither (stringed instruments in which the strings do not extend beyond the sounding box) and early documentation indicates that the Japanese koto dates from the 16th century.
It is a long, hollow instrument made from Paulownia wood, also known as the Empress Tree (kiri), and the Japanese koto is the official national instrument of Japan.
This six foot long zither is inspired by crouching dragon symbolism and so its parts are named after the creature and are referred to as dragon-head, dragon-back, and dragon-legs.
The koto has 13 similarly sized strings made of silk (or nylon) and is played with three plectra (picks) made of ivory (or plastic) that are fitted into leather bands and then placed on the harpist’s index finger, middle finger and thumb.
You can try playing an online Japanese koto now.
