Yuichi Kimura
Japanese Drummer
http://kimurayuichi.com/
Yuichi Kimura, a Japanese Taiko drummer, was born in Kobe, Japan in 1976. He first encountered taiko as a member of the high school taiko club. Following the devastating 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake, Yuichi and his team performed taiko at evacuation centers to uplift the spirits of those affected. This experience revealed the mysterious and invigorating effect of taiko on the audience, inspiring him to pursue a career as a professional taiko artist. He made his professional debut in France in 1995 and began his activities in Japan in 1996, learning various traditional and modern taiko styles.
From 2000 to 2010, he performed in numerous concerts and events throughout Japan. Starting in 2010, he embarked on collaborations with classical orchestras, jazz big bands, Latin music, and various ethnic music genres, achieving remarkable feats rarely seen among Japanese taiko performers. He has also performed onboard several cruise ships, including those carrying Queen Elizabeth and Diamond Princess, receiving great acclaim from the audience. As a result, he has been consistently invited by numerous cruise companies as a featured artist. His contributions were highly recognized by the city of Kobe, and in 2015, during the commemorative ceremony for the 150th anniversary of Kobe's port opening, he had the honor of performing in the presence of Prince Akishinomiya.
In addition, ten years after the earthquake, he composed a piece called "DAICHI," serving as a requiem for those who passed away and expressing gratitude to those who assisted, while providing hope for the future. With a career spanning over 20 years, his goal is to share the message of "DAICHI" with the world. As a result, he expanded his activities to the United States. In 2014, he conducted his first workshop in Minnesota, followed by workshops in California, Washington, and Oregon. In 2019, he embarked on a concert tour in the Midwest and West Coast.
Currently, he serves as the producer of the Kobe International Taiko Music Festival, organizing events that invite musicians from various genres, not only taiko performers. Yuichi Kimura has received several prestigious awards, including the 2010 Hyogo Prefecture Sakai Tokitada Music Award, the 2012 Kobe City Cultural Promotion Prize, and the 2013 Hyogo Prefectural Arts Promotion Prize. In 2020, he was selected as one of the "Seven World-Class Percussion Artists" by the Asano Taiko Cultural Research Institute.
In 2024, he performed at the Opening Ceremony of the World Para Athletics Championships, and once again embarked on a concert and workshop tour in the United States, visiting Seattle (Washington), Los Angeles (California), and Saint Paul (Minnesota).
