Curtis Patterson - koto

A native of Naperville Illinois, Curtis Patterson began his study of the koto at Cornell College with Jesse Evans in 1980. He furthered his studies, focusing on the traditional jiuta repertoire as well as modern solo and ensemble works with Shizuko Izumi in Tochigi Prefecture and Keiko Iwahori in Kyoto. In 1990 Patterson moved to Tokyo where he deepened connections with the Sawai Koto Institute, studying with modern greats Tadao and Kazue Sawai. Curtis holds a shihan master’s teaching license with the Sawai school, and is the first non-Japanese national to graduate from the NHK (Japan National Broadcast Company) master’s program for young performers of traditional Japanese instruments. 

Currently residing in Meguro, Tokyo where he teaches koto and shamisen in person and online, Patterson performs regularly with SOEMON which celebrated thirty years of koto ensemble performance in July, 2025. He has recently rebooted his duo Bruce Huebner (shakuhachi) which now appears as Také to Ito. Spring 2026 saw an extensive tour of Australia and a US West Coast tour by Také to Ito in September and October is planned. 

From 2011 to 2025 Patterson worked as director of the Japanese Music Program at Yokohama International School. Graduates of the program have gone on to study at institutions including the New England Conservatory, Tokyo University of the Arts, England’s Royal Academy of Music and the Paris Conservatory. Patterson currently acts as director of the YIS Alumni Koto Ensemble.

イリノイ州ネーパービル出身のカーティス・パターソンは、1980年にコーネル・カレッジにてジェシー・エヴァンスに師事し、箏の学習を始めました。その後、栃木県にて出水志津子氏、京都にて岩堀敬子氏のもとで研鑽を積み、伝統的な地歌のレパートリーをはじめ、現代の独奏・合奏作品にも取り組みました。1990年に東京へ移住し、沢井箏曲院との関わりを深め、現代の巨匠である沢井忠夫氏・一恵氏に師事しました。カーティスは沢井流の師範免許を取得しており、NHK（日本放送協会）の邦楽技能者育成会を修了した初の外国籍者です。

現在は東京都目黒区在住。対面およびオンラインにて箏・三味線を指導するかたわら、2025年7月に箏アンサンブルとして30周年を迎えたSOEMONと定期的に演奏活動を行っています。また、尺八奏者ブルース・ヒューブナーとのデュオを再始動させ、現在は「竹と糸」として活動中です。2026年春にはオーストラリア各地を巡る大規模なツアーを行い、同年9月・10月には「竹と糸」によるアメリカ西海岸ツアーも予定されています。

2011年から2025年にかけては、横浜インターナショナルスクールの日本音楽プログラムのディレクターを務めました。同プログラムの卒業生は、ニューイングランド音楽院、東京藝術大学、英国王立音楽院、パリ音楽院など、国内外の著名な音楽教育機関へと進学しています。現在はYIS卒業生箏アンサンブルのディレクターも務めています。

California-born Bruce Huebner studied shakuhachi under the late Goro Yamaguchi (Living National Treasure) at the prestigious Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music. He is the first non-Japanese to receive a master's degree in traditional Japanese music performance at the university. He earned his masters license from Chikuyusha, one of the oldest shakuhachi guilds, in 1997, and gave two solo shakuhachi recitals of Japanese classical music. In 1998 Bruce produced an instructional video on shakuhachi performance in English, and in August 2000 he led the Contemporary Sankyoku Ensemble's six-state US Tour while releasing a solo CD of traditional shakuhachi music, "Song of Daybreak." In 1999 Huebner co-founded the Jazz/World Music group "Candela," which has recorded and performed to wide acclaim in Japan, as well as at venues in the United States, Canada and Europe.