In 2002, Perry Yung spent six months in Japan on a Japan/US Friendship Grant sponsored by The international House of Japan and the National Endowment for the Arts. He is the only American Shakuhachi maker supported by both the American and Japanese governments to specifically study shakuhachi making. While in Japan, Perry studied playing with diverse teachers and saw every shakuhachi performance he could find in Tokyo and Kyoto so that he could get the widest possible exposure to the shakuhachi. His main sensei in both making and playing is Kinya Sogawa. Before leaving Japan, Perry collaborated with Kinya, Laurie Sogawa and Maura Donohue to create Umi Yo Umi Yo, a Butoh Shakuhachi performance extravaganza with Yoshito and Kazuo Ohno.

When Perry is not making or playing shakuhachi, he creates and performs contemporary theater with the SLANT Performance Group (he is cofounder), and designs sets for Maura Nguyen Donohue and In Mixed Company.


Website: www.yungflutes.com and www.slantperformancegroup.com
email: yungflutes@yahoo.com