CURRENT EVENTS AND NEWS
'Yama no Yume' by Jim Franklin
In July 2026, Jim Franklin’s 2025 work for piano and shakuhachi, ‘Yama no Yume’ (‘Dream of the Mountain’) was honoured as a finalist (one of four) in the APRA AMCOS Art Music Awards 2026 in the category ‘Work of the year, solo/small ensemble’. (APRA AMCOS is the Australian Performing Rights Society.) ‘Yama no Yume’ has thus received recognition as one of the best solo or chamber works written by an Australian composer in 2025.
Apart from the personal significance for Jim Franklin, such recognition within the mainstream art music world of a shakuhachi-based work, can be seen as an ongoing stepping stone in the process of legitimation of the shakuhachi within mainstream composition in a way that goes beyond simple and superficial appropriation of its sound. And by extension, it is a further sign of acceptance and recognition of transcultural composition in a broader sense.
Google AI summarises the significance of finalist status in the Art Music Awards as follows:
Achieving finalist status in the APRA AMCOS Art Music Awards is widely considered one of the highest honours in the Australian contemporary classical, jazz, and experimental music sectors.
In the art music community, the distinction between the eventual winner and the other finalists is minor. Simply making the shortlist permanently attaches a badge of excellence to that specific piece of work or performance history.
Being named a finalist in a Work of the Year (Composition) category is a career-defining milestone that permanently archives a piece as an elite contribution to Australian musical heritage.
‘Yama no Yume’ can be heard here.
A future performance is planned in Kyoto on 16th July 2027, at 6:30pm, in Kyoto Kokusai Kōryū Kaikan (KoKoKa, Kyoto International Interchange House). The performers will be Jim Franklin (shakuhachi) and Ikuko Inoguchi (piano). The concert will include other works by Franklin and by fellow composer Christopher Molina, and the paintings by Thorsten Schirmer which are associated with the work will be on display at the venue.
Recent CDs by Jim Franklin
'Branchings – Accessible Places'', a double CD of Franklin's works for shakuhachi and live -electronics from 2022 to 2025, was released in November 2025 on the Sargasso label. It can be purchased at Sargasso.
Book publication
In March 2024, Jim Franklin's book 'Densokugaku: Shakuhachi, Composition, Electronics' was published in England by Vision Edition. In this book, Jim Franklin describes his path between composition (particularly with live-electronics) and Shakuhachi; he analyses classical pieces (honkyoku) as well as his own compositions, primarily from the CD 'Songs from the Lake'. He also offers thoughts about the nature of the music of the shakuhachi as meditation. The book can be ordered here.
YouTube-Channel von Jim Franklin
Jim Franklin has established his own YouTube-Channel. This channel presents mainly his new compositions for shakuhachi, especially with live electronics, although some earlier and classical pieces can be heard there.
The channel can be found here. (https://www.youtube.com/ @Jim_Franklin_Shakuhachi_Modern/videos
Concert videos
Jim Franklin, Hiroko Sugino, 24. 11. 2018
On 24. 11. 2018, Jim Franklin and Hiroko Sugino performed a (non-classical) concert at the Theremin Academy Lippstadt 2018: shakuhachi * 2, live electronics * 2 und theremin * 1 (2 musicians). A complete video recording of the concert can be found here (https://youtu.be/Aw11FMeJo08).
Jim Franklin, Karen Schlimp, Margarete Wenzel, 20. 01. 2019
On 20. 01. 2019, a recitation-concert, 'Der Meister der Teezeremonie' ('The Tea Ceremony Master') was performed in the Tae Kwon Do Studio Wolfmayr in Linz (Austria) by Jim Franklin (shakuhachi), Karen Schlimp (prepared piano) and Margarete Wenzel (narrator). The text is in German. A complete video recording of the concert can be found here (https://youtu.be/O24swuDhE6Y).
ABOUT JIM FRANKLIN
Dr Jim Franklin is a master performer of the shakuhachi, as well as a composer.
He studied the shakuhachi with Riley Lee in Sydney, and Furuya Teruo and Yokoyama Katsuya in Tokyo.
In 1996 he received the title "Shihan" (Master) from Yokoyama-sensei. He is one of the few non-Japanese to have received this high title directly from Yokayama-sensei. Since then, his profession has consisted of teaching, performing, and composing for shakuhachi.
In 2018 he was Programme Director of the World Shakuhachi Festival in London.
He lived in Germany from 2004 to 2021, emigrating to Japan in April 2021. From the time of his emigration to Germany, he made the shakuhachi his entire profession as a freelance artist, and helped to establish the European Shakuhachi Society in 2006. Since 2021 in Japan, he continues his freelance profession through online shakuhachi teaching, and composing, recording and performing with shakuhachi.
TEACHING
Jim Franklin is a qualified teacher of shakuhachi, in the lineage of Yokoyama Katsuya. He offers online instruction for beginners and advanced players. Face-to-face lessons are also available in Japan (dependent upon any COVID19- or other restrictions which may be in effect).
Teaching news:
Although he no longer lives in Europe, Jim Franklin still continues to contribute behind-the-scenes to KSK Europe. Further information about activities of KSK Europe can be found here.