Marimba Player Michiko Noguchi Official Site

Tatsuo Sasaki received a Fulbright Scholarship to Juilliard while he was a senior at Tokyo University of Arts and Music and studied timpani with Saul Goodman, the timpanist with the New York Philharmonic. He received several lessons from noted xylophonist, Yoichi Hiraoka in New York and performed recitals in New York city. In 1966, Sasaki was accepted by The American Symphony directed by Leopold Stokowski as a percussionist. In 1967 he was invited by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and performed as the assistant timpanist and percussionist for two years.

Sasaki returned to Japan in 1969 and became a member of the Japan Philharmonic. He served as a faculty at Sakuyo Conservatoire as percussion instructor and gave his first solo recital in Tokyo in 1972.

Later that year, Sasaki was invited to the Orquestra Sinfonica Brazileiro and relocated to Rio de Janeiro as a principal timpanist. After 18 months in the Orquestra, Peter Eros, music director of San Diego Symphony, invited Sasaki to his orchestra in the US. Sasaki moved to San Diego in the fall of 1973 and served as principal timpanist for the San Diego Symphony and San Diego Opera until his retirement in 2006. He taught timpani, percussion and marimba at SDU (University of San Diego) and Grossmont College.

Sasaki was featured as a xylophone soloist with the San Diego Symphony, the Glendale Symphony and others. He performed Fantasy on Japanese Wood Prints composed by Alan Hovhaness directed by Andre Kostelanetz; Marimba Concerto by Robert Kurka,; Concertino for marimba by Paul Creston, Suite No.2 by J.S.Bach, and other pieces.
After retirement from the orchestra, Sasaki concentrated his work on the marimba through his teachings, masterclasses, and conducting marimba ensembles in Tokyo and Nagoya.
In 2009 Sasaki formed “The Marimba Duo” with noted marimbist/music arranger/music publisher Michiko Noguchi in Tokyo. The Marimba Duo released several CDs and performed concerts.

Xylophone playing

Sasaki’s playing style is xylophone (hitting the keys at right angles from directly above the plate). He also hits the center of the plate when playing black keys (you can see his playing style on YouTube). When speed is required on the marimba, the black keys are hit on the edge of the plate or the mallet is moved diagonally in a fan shape, but the plate is thick on the xylophone, and a good sound cannot be produced, especially with a wool-wrapped mallet, and there is also a difference in volume and sound quality between the black and white keys. Hitting from directly above means that the mallet must be directly above the plate just before hitting, so the movement must be quick enough, which is technically advanced, but the sound produced has a popping feel and is more persuasive. This characteristic is particularly evident in Yoichi Hiraoka and Sasaki. Although not a xylophone player, marimba player Masao Yoshikawa’s touch was deep vertically, just like Yoichi Hiraoka and Sasaki.

🎵 Paul Creston / Concertino for Marimba and Orchestra 1974

Tatsuo Sasaki 1974 (Age 30）

Orchestra：San Diego Symphony Orchestra
Conductor : Charles Keccham
1974,San Diego State University Amphi Theater

🎵 Prokofiev / Flute Sonata, Op.94, 2 and 4 mov. Recital hall of Tokyo 1971年(27才）上野東京文化会館リサイタル

シロフォン：佐々木達夫
Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) / Sonata for flute and piano in D Major, Op. 94
プロコフィエフ／フルートソナタニ長調 Op.94,
Sasaki performed the entire flute sonata at the recital hall of Tokyo Bunka Kaikan in 1971.
上野東京文化会館におけるリサイタルの録音