Kazue Sawai
Kazue Sawai was a Japanese koto player noted for her performance of contemporary classical music and free improvisation.
Kazue Sawai
- Born
- 1941 · Kyoto.
- Died
- 2026
- Nationality
- Japan
- Occupation
- musician · instrumentalist
- Education
- Tokyo University of the Arts
- Languages
- Japanese
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Kazue Sawai was a Japanese koto player noted for her performance of contemporary classical music and free improvisation.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Note VALÉORINE
No house-authored Note is published until its assertions and sources pass the VALÉORINE evidence contract. The documentary article remains available in full while that enrichment is being consolidated.
Documentary enrichment in progress · no unsupported statement published
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Kazue Sawai. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
Documentary evidence
Evidence Panel
wikipedia incomplete · checked 25 September 2026
- Identity
- resolved
- Independent source families
- 0
- Admitted assertions
- 0
- Open conflicts
- 0
Authority files
wikidata · Q6381413 · wikipedia · Kazue Sawai
In this article
Early life
Early life
Sawai was born in Kyoto on January 1st, 1941, and began studying koto, at the age of eight, with Michio Miyagi. She later graduated from the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music.
Musical career
Musical career
Sawai played both the 13-string and 17-string kotos. As a soloist, as well as with her koto ensemble, she performed and worked with John Cage, Toshi Ichiyanagi, Yuji Takahashi, Ayuo, Roberto Carnevale, Sofia Gubaidulina, David Behrman, Carl Stone, and many other composers. She has performed in Japan, North America, and Europe.
Teaching career
Teaching career
Sawai operated a school in Japan, where she taught both Japanese and foreign students. Her students include Michiyo Yagi, Elizabeth Falconer, Shoko Hikage, and Mei Han.
Personal life and death
Personal life and death
Sawai was married to the late Tadao Sawai, who was also a koto player and composer. The couple had a son Hikaru Sawai (born 1964), who is also a koto player and composer. Kazue Sawai died on 15 February 2026, at the age of 85.
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 21 September 2026.
Elsewhere in Music memorabilia
42,307 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Kazimierz SikorskiPerson
- Kazimierz WiłkomirskiPerson
- Kâzım KarabekirPerson
- Kâzım KoyuncuPerson
- Kazuha OdaPerson
- Kazuhiko KatōPerson
- Kazuhiro MoritaPerson
- Kazuhisa UchihashiPerson
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by Kazue Sawai?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.