Hélène Seiyu (聖優) is a shakuhachi teacher and performer (Dai Shihan) from the Hijiri-Kai school, founded by Fukuda Teruhisa (福田 輝久). Based in the Netherlands, she has been actively performing solo concerts and collaborations with both Japanese and Western musical instruments across Europe.
She is a member of Duo Satsuzen (颯然) alongside flutist Catherine Balmer. In 2022, they premiered two compositions written for them: “Ellipse” by Elizabeth Brown and “Ginyo” by Atsuki SUMI.
Hélène Seiyu has also released two solo shakuhachi CDs featuring her own compositions: “African Memories” (2020) and “Reflection” (2021).
The spirituality of shakuhachi and playing in nature are essential for her. She aims to extend the reach of shakuhachi music beyond traditional concert halls.