About me
Marco Lienhard (he/him) was the lead performer of the legendary Ondekoza in Japan from 1981 to 1998. He performed on Odaiko, Taiko, Shakuhachi, Nohkan, and Shinobue. He mastered the Shakuhachi (5-holed bamboo flute) in Japan under Katsuya Yokoyama. Marco Lienhard is the founder and director of East Winds Ensemble and Taikoza, both based in New York City since 1999. He has composed music for documentaries, educational DVDs, movies, and the soundtrack of a re-released silent movie: "The Wrath of the Gods." His compositions for the Shakuhachi, the Taiko, the Shinobue, and the Koto have been performed internationally. Marco Lienhard and Taikoza can be heard on the soundtrack of the award-winning Nintendo Wii game: Red Steel 1 & 2. He has recorded many CDs, including the critically acclaimed debut solo CD: "Shakuhachi," "Taikoza: Beginnings," "Voice of the Earth," and "Tree Spirit," all with original music composed by Marco Lienhard. Taikoza CDs have been nominated five times for best Asian music by JPF awards. Lienhard has performed worldwide, including at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Madison Square Garden, Hammerstein Ballroom, Boston Symphony Hall, Tchaikovsky Hall, the House of Music in Moscow, Bolshoi Circus, Osaka Castle Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Center, and Suntory Hall.
He was the featured Shakuhachi player in the Temple of the Golden Pavilion with the NYC Opera. In 2015, he premiered a new composition with the Juilliard New Music Ensemble. Marco Lienhard and Taikoza are active in the arts in education programs, giving workshops and annually over 100 performances. He received many grants: the Rockefeller Foundation, NEA, Japan Foundation, and Puffin Foundation. A Columbia University Bundles Scholar since 2021. He has toured internationally with Japan’s Monbusho (Japanese Ministry of Culture) and toured Brazil with the Japan Foundation. He has taught at many Taiko conferences and given masterclasses and workshops in South America, Europe, Japan, and North America since 1985. He can hold workshops in five languages and leads very popular workshops on taiko and Japanese flutes around the World.
He has produced Taiko concerts in Hilo Hawaii, Europe, Japan and the USA.
He was the invited guest performer in Europe for Taiko conferences and camps in US, Europe, S. America. Guest performances for the SF International Taiko festivals, International Shakuhachi Festivals, International Percussion festivals, etc.
He has written two books—one on how to play the Shinobue and one on how to play the Shakuhachi.
Marco Lienhard performs regularly internationally as a guest. Websites: Taikoza.com and MarcoLienhard.com.
