Akira Uchida - Clavichord Live Concert "Silence, Space and Self"

This year, Kurashi has invited Japanese musician Akira Uchida to travel from Japan to Melbourne to perform 3 live concerts as parts of the annual Christmas events.

Biography of Akira Uchida

• After graduating from music college in 2004, he started working as a saxophonist.
• In 2008, he studied piano tuning under a tuner Satoshi Yoshida and started to tune chords for pianists both domestically and internationally.
• In 2015, he studied keyboard instrument production under musical instrument maker Masahiro Adachi and started making a clavichord, which was invented in the 14th century in Europe. This instrument is designed to produce such soft sounds that it evokes the silence of nature. And, the sounds of this tiny keyboard are so soothing that lead people to a profound state of spirituality.
• From building his own clavichord in Japanese cypress, tuning the sounds, and then becoming a musician, Uchida cherishes the way of seeing the world by this flow and progress. He firstly built a clavichord for himself, then the second unit for the legendary Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto.
• In 2021, following the completion of the Great Renovation of the Kiyomizu-dera Temple buildings that spanned 12 years in Kyoto, Uchida crafted his third clavichord from the used floorboards once forming the Kiyomizu-dera Temple’s Main Hall stage to perform “silk road - a path of prayers”, which was composed by him, for praying for world peace.

"The fact that I am making a clavichord, which originated in the West in the 14th century, with an Eastern worldview, it shows us the past, present, and future. It also gives us a sense of the horizontal axis (place), vertical axis (time), and it makes us realize that all wordless abstract phenomena are connected. And so I am fascinated by this instrument. The soft and delicate sound of the clavichord opens your senses and lets you see an abstract world that resonates with the place. I think this will be a time where you can discover something about yourself."

"Rather than listening to sound, through the sensation of surrendering to sound waves, we transcend thoughts and memories, time and space, and create time to face our inner and outer self. I would be happy if you could experience that feeling through my performance."

— Akira Uchida

Past performances

JAPAN
- MIHO museum
- Kyoto Kiyomizudera https://feel.kiyomizudera.or.jp/project/1032
- Ginza Maison Hermès

Paris, France
- Air de Paris

Berlin, Germany
- gallery shizuku

Venue: Kurashi Japanese Crafts (gallery space in the 2nd floor)

Address: 463 High Street, Prahran, VIC 3181

*Each ticket includes an alcoholic/a non-alcoholic drink. Please grab your drink upon arrival.

*There won't be an allocation of seats at the performance venue. The earlier you arrive, the more spots you can choose to get seated to enjoy the concert.

Clavichord produces a sound that is softer and more delicate than the human voice. We hope that you will enjoy the tranquil world of sound when the light slowly changes as the sun sets during the concerts.