Ralph Samuelson began his studies of Kinko school shakuhachi music in 1969 as a graduate student at Wesleyan University under the guidance of Araki Kodo V, and later continued shakuhachi studies with Yamato Shudo.

He first traveled to Japan in 1971 to become a student of Yamaguchi Goro, and he has been studying the traditional repertoire and playing style of the Kinko school with Yamaguchi Goro since that time. He began actively teaching and performing in the United States in 1978.

Mr. Samuelson has performed traditional and contemporary shakuhachi music at numerous concerts in North America, Asia, and Europe. He has been presented in radio and television broadcasts in Japan and the United States and has recorded for several international record labels. He is a frequent guest lecturer at universities and music schools and teaches the shakuhachi in New York, where he is also director of the Asian Cultural Council, a foundation supporting U.S.-Asia cultural exchange.

Website: http://www.komuso.com/people/Samuelson,_Ralph.html
email: rsamuelson@accny.org