shinobue, shakuhachi
Kevin Zi-Xiao He is a Chinese-born composer, instrumentalist, and educator, who immigrated to Canada in his mid-teen years. From a musical family, Kevin studied western classical music and trained in the piano, cello, and voice since a young age. In 2017, inspired by a growing calling to connect with his East Asian heritage, Kevin took an interest in traditional Japanese bamboo flutes and began studying with teachers based in Canada and Japan. Kevin came into contact with Nagata Shachu through the University of Toronto, where founder and director Kiyoshi Nagata teaches the Taiko Drumming Ensemble class. In Nagata Shachu, Kevin specializes in the shinobue and the shakuhachi. As a composer, Kevin’s original works have been showcased in concerts and new music festivals in North America, Asia, and Europe. He is a current doctoral candidate in composition in the studio of Dr. Christos Hatzis at the University of Toronto.
