ABSTRACT
The traditional solo repertoire for the shakuhachi derives from the 17th and 18th centuries and is based on principles of Zen Buddhist meditation practice. Certain elements of this music - including timbre, breath rhythm, pitch sensitivity, ornamentation, and the basic approach to music making - are of great interest to contemporary composers, both in Japan and other countries. An appreciation of shakuhachi music in the United States has been growing steadily since the 1960s, and a number of American composers have created exciting new works for the instrument. This article briefly outlines the transformation of the shakuhachi from an instrument tied to a particular culture and time period to one which is increasingly part of the contemporary international music world, and presents a list of fifty shakuhachi compositions by twenty-three American composers.
