WHO IS MU DAIKO?
Mu Daiko is an eleven-member professional taiko ensemble founded in 1997 by Mu Performing Arts Artistic Director Rick Shiomi. After forming Mu Daiko in response to the interest of a few eager students, the group began giving a regular annual performance. Since, Mu Daiko has grown into a nationally recognized taiko ensemble, performing classic and original compositions and hosting such internationally renowned guest artists as Kenny Endo, the San Francisco Taiko Dojo, the On Ensemble, and Fubuki Daiko. Members have performed with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Chamber Music Society of Minnesota. In 2005, Mu Daiko was honored as one of only four taiko groups in North America selected to perform at the annual North American Taiko Conference in Los Angeles, CA.
Mu Daiko’s performance style and compositions represent a synthesis of influences. Shiomi’s study with Tanaka Sensei and workshops with Kenny Endo, Hanayui, and Fubuki Daiko are harmonized with the theatrical aesthetic of the group’s parent company, Mu Performing Arts, and its connection to Korean Mask Dance. Taiko has likewise proved an inspiration for the company’s dramatic work; three of Mu’s mainstage productions since the inception of Mu Daiko have showcased taiko drumming or a taiko-based story.
