English

*In September 2024, [SINSKE] changed his name to [Shinnosuke Ishihara].

He started playing piano at the age of 3, drums at 13, and marimba at 20.

After graduating first in his percussion class at Toho Gakuen School of Music and performing at the Yomiuri Newcomer's Concert, he received a special scholarship from the Belgian government to study abroad. H

e graduated first in his class from the percussion departments of the Royal Conservatories of Brussels and Antwerp, Belgium, and received a special scholarship from the Belgian government to study abroad. He completed the solo specialisation course at the Conservatoire de Paris, France, with distinction.

For six years after graduating, he worked as a freelance classical percussionist and marimba player in Europe, performing concerts as a soloist with orchestras such as the Belgian Radio Symphony Orchestra and achieving excellent results in numerous international competitions.

He won the highest prize in the "Tenuto 2000 Music Competition (Belgium)" and the prize of the Belgian Copyright Society. He won third prize at the Tromp 2000 International Music Competition in the Netherlands. Second prize at the 3rd World Marimba Competition in Germany. He has also won prizes in many other competitions.

He returned to Japan in 2003 after a break in his activities in Europe. He developed the world's first MIDI Marimba "EMP" with Yamaha and became the world's first EMP player to acquire his own unique means of musical expression, and made his major debut with the album "INFINITY" while attracting attention as a performer at the FUJI ROCK Festival '03. He has released 5 albums on Sony Music Japan International, 9 albums on his own label and 1 album on King Record.

In recent years, in addition to his solo activities, he has been actively involved in duo activities with shakuhachi player Fujiwara Dozan and marimba player Mimura Nanae, and has released 13 albums as Fujiwara Dozan x SINSKE, the world's smallest shakuhachi and marimba orchestra. With the CD "Ten Years, Ten Colors", they will hold 13 concerts in 11 cities across Japan.

In 2013, the 10th anniversary of his debut, he also created the music and performance for the Nippon Buyo Kyokai's new performance “Sokoku Ki” (2013, National Theatre of Japan), and his numerous stage music performances have received favorable reviews.

He has performed in 13 countries in the U.S. and Europe, including an expedition to Africa and recording with percussionists from Cuba, Belgium, and other countries, a tour in Belgium, France, and Luxembourg in 2016 with “Fujiwara Dozan x SINSKE,” and performances in Malaysia in 2018, Italy in 2019, Mexico in 2022 He is also actively involved in overseas activities, performing in Malaysia in 2018, Italy in 2019, Mexico in 2019, and Spain in 2024.

He is also active in teaching younger students, giving marimba workshops for inexperienced players to experience and feel the joy of playing the marimba, and teaching master classes and invited performances at the Zeltsman Marimba Festival in Chicago, USA. He has also been invited to perform and teach master classes at the “Zeltsman Marimba Festival” in Chicago.

He has also been featured frequently in TV programs such as “Daimei no Nai Ongakukai” (TV Asahi), “Kanjam” and “Musica Piccolino” on E-television, as well as in newspapers, radio, magazines, and other media. He appeared in “Xperia FILE,” in which real users talk about the appeal of SONY's smartphone/tablet “Xperia” from April 2016, and in a web commercial from November of the same year.

JR Tokai [TV commercial] “Yes, Let's go to Kyoto” on-air from May 2019. Participated in the performance of the moss and fresh green version, and in July of the same year, collaborated with ukulele player “Toshiki Kondo” on the song “SUNNY SIDE”.