Connecting cultures through the universal language of music
Rika Kakitsu
Rika Kakitsu — Flutist
Born in Osaka, Japan, Rika Kakitsu graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in wind instruments from Osaka College of Music. She then pursued a Master’s program at the Royal Danish Academy of Music.
Rika has earned international recognition, including a Special Prize at the 4th Concorso MusicArte Stella. In 2015, she studied under Sophie Cherie at the Nice International Summer Music Academy in France, where she received a diploma. She also refined her chamber music skills through private lessons with Carion, focusing on woodwind quintet performance.
As the creator and producer of the innovative “Jicho Project,” Rika crafts mystical soundscapes by blending the chanting of Buddhist sutras by temple priests with her own improvised flute performances. This project invites audiences to experience music beyond conventional venues, creating deeply moving and immersive sound environments.
Her unique “Sleeping Series” offers audiences the chance to lie down on heated floors inside temple halls, enveloped by gentle flute lullabies and resonant ritual instruments. She also collaborates with sommeliers to combine wine tasting and live music, and engages audiences with participatory improvisations responding to their chosen sounds—bridging tradition and innovation in captivating ways.
Rika’s interactive performance at the Grand Salon cabaret in Juso, featuring Showa-era popular songs in a karaoke-style concert, garnered significant attention, showcasing her versatility and appeal as an artist.
As a composer, she explores original sound worlds, exemplified by her piece The Resonance for Wine Bottles and Glasses, written for wine glasses and bottles.
Her flute mentors include Yuki Kanesaki, Setsuko Oka, Yoko Hiraoka, Keiko Nagayama, and Toke Lund Christiansen from Denmark. She studied piccolo with Russell Satoshi Itani and chamber music with Keiko Nagayama.
After diverse experiences, including participation in musical orchestras in Tauranga, New Zealand, Rika is now based on Waiheke Island as a freelance flutist and instructor, offering both live and online lessons. She continues to challenge herself and expand the expressive possibilities of music, aiming to touch audiences worldwide.
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