Yagi is a unique koto player who works in many genres in addition to traditional Japanese music--from avant-garde jazz and contemporary classical all the way to rock and pop. After graduating from the NHK Professional Training School for Traditional Musicians, she went to the U.S. as a visiting professor at Wesleyan University and was influenced by musicians like John Cage and John Zorn. Among her CD releases are Shizuku, Yurari, and Seventeen. Yagi performs with improvisers from around the world, notably in her trio with Peter Brotzmann and Paal Nilssen-Love, and also participates in recordings and performances by Japanese pop artists.
Michiyo Yagi home page (Improvised Music from Japan)