Elizabeth Falconer

Elizabeth first went to Japan in 1973, as a summer exchange student in Osaka. That trip changed the course of her life. After that, she began to study Japanese and returend to Japan as an exchange student at Waseda University. It wasn’t until she returned to Japan for the third time, to teach English, that she discovered the koto, starting lessons at the advice of an English student who knew she liked music.
Elizabeth has has earned numerous awards for her work combining Japanese folktales with original koto music and has produced over 10 albums on her label, Koto World. She enjoys collaborating with various artists and taking her koto into new situations, and has tourned internationally. She has performed her stories at the Smithsonian, numerous libraries, museums, schools and festivals. She can also be found performing with her husband John in the koto-shakuhachi Duo En in venues from small teahouses to international festivals.