Kiku Day is a ji-nashi shakuhachi player from Denmark, although her roots are from America, Japan, Ireland and Russia. Between 1989 and 1999, she studied honkyoku, the traditional repertoire of the komusô monks, with Okuda Atsuya in Tokyo, during which time she also studied jinashi shakuhachi-making with Murai Eigorô. Ms. Day is also trained as a classical pianist and flutist.

During her studies in ethnomusicology at SOAS, the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, her interest turned more and more towards the music of today. She thus studied improvisation with Clive Bell and composition with Daniel Chua at King's College, London.

Presently, Kiku Day is studying for her Masters in Fine Art in Performance and Literature at Mills College, Oakland, California, where she focuses on improvisation and the performance of contemporary music on the ji-nashi shakuahchi.

During the last decade, Ms Day has performed at many venues, including:

Kokubunji Culture Festival, Tokyo, Japan
Prana health and Meditation Center, Ohui, New Zealand
Fête de la musique, Geneva, Switzerland
Royal Academy of Music, Copenhagen, Denmark
Royal Festival Hall. London. U.K.
National Theatre, London U.K.

email: kikuescargot@hotmail.com