Yasuo Watani

Yasuo Watani (born in 1960) is a Japanese chromatic harmonica player. He was born in Kyoto, Japan and had his first harmonica lessons with Tadao Kobayashi in 1966. After graduating from Doshisha University (Faculty of Commerce) in 1984 with a degree in Economics, he studied the chromatic harmonica with Helmuth Herold at the Hohner-Konservatorium Trossingen in Germany from 1984 to 1988. He also learned the harmonica from the Canadian harmonica soloist Tommy Reilly. Watani was invited to stay on as a Lecturer at the Hohner-Konservatorium and taught from 1988 to 2002. Since 2005, he is a Music Professor for harmonica at Senzoku-Gakuen College of Music, Japan. Toledo, Spanish Fantasy for Harmonica and Orchestra composed by James Moody with the piano accompaniment by Mariko Watani to 1600 audiences.

On 13 December 2019, Watani played the world premiere contemporary classical piece Laughing Harmonica, Boiling Harmonica (ハーモニカは笑い、そして沸騰する) written for him by Japanese composer Shin-ichiro Ikebe in the concert entitled 'Jeux vifs et colores' in Tokyo. Watani performed the same piece on 16 February 2020 in Uozu city during the annual concert, Musical Tales of Early Spring, organized by the Shin-ichiro Ikebe.

Notable awards and recognitions 1988: 1st Prize for the International Harmonica Competition in the Netherlands 1989: 1st Prize in the 2nd World Harmonica Competition in Trossingen, Germany 1996: Muramatsu Award (村松賞) 1997: Kyoto Aoyama Music Awards (京都府青山音楽賞) 1998: Kyoto Prefecture Culture Prize “Encouragement Prize” (京都府文化賞奨励賞)

Discography 1995: ハーモニカ幻想. Yasuo Watani, harmonica; Tomislav Baynov, piano; Hiroaki Mizuma, fagot; Mariko Watani, harpsichord, piano 1995: ハーモニカによる日本の調べ. Yasuo Watani, harmonica; Nodaira Ichiro, piano 1999: Harmonica Fantasy. Live concert recording at Touch Community Theatre, Singapore 2004: Harmonica Nostalgia: Harmonica with String Trio Cembalo and Harp. Yasuo Watani, harmonica; Daiki Shimizu, violin; Kenta Matsumi, viola; Shinichi Eguchi, cello; Marie Nishiyama, harp & cembalo 2013: Matador, The Harmonica of Passion. Yasuo Watani, chromatic harmonica; Gakuji Arao, piano; Tomoya Kikuchi, cello 2017: Manjushage Fantasy. Yasuo Watani, chromatic harmonica; Gakuji Arao, piano; Tomoya Kikuchi, cello

Media appearances Watani's performances have been recorded both on radio and television in Germany and NHK Japan Corporation.