Ian Cleworth
Taikoz Member | Artistic Director | Teacher
Member since 1997
Ian co-founded Taikoz in 1997 wth Riley Lee and has been the ensemble’s Artistic Director since. In 2005 he became full-time with the group after having spent 20 years as Principal Percussionist with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and 16 years with the percussion group Synergy.
Ian is a performer, composer and teacher, and as a member of Taikoz has collaborated with, and composed works for the ensemble and artists as diverse as John Bell and the Bell Shakespeare Company, taiko great Eitetsu Hayashi, koto virtuosi Kazue Sawai and Satsuki Odamura, and choreographers Meryl Tankard and Anandavalli. In the 1980s Ian learnt taiko with Sen Amano of Yamanashi Prefecture, followed two decades later by tutorship from Eitetsu Hayashi. With Synergy, Ian collaborated with such luminaries as Fritz Hauser, Trilok Gurtu, Hossam Ramzy, Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Palle Mikkelborg, Dave Samuels, Graeme Murphy and Mike Nock, and toured Australia, England, Hungary, Sweden, Taiwan, Japan, Poland, Germany, New Zealand and Singapore.
In 2007 Ian received the APRA-AMC Classical Music Award for Long-term Contribution for the Advancement Of Australian Music, and in 2016, the Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendation for his contribution towards promoting friendship and goodwill between Australia and Japan. Ian is also a keen Kendoka and member of the Sydney Kendo Club.
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Ian Cleworth
Taikoz Member | Artistic Director | Teacher
Member since 1997
Ian co-founded Taikoz in 1997 wth Riley Lee and has been the ensemble’s Artistic Director since. In 2005 he became full-time with the group after having spent 20 years as Principal Percussionist with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and 16 years with the percussion group Synergy.
Ian is a performer, composer and teacher, and as a member of Taikoz has collaborated with, and composed works for the ensemble and artists as diverse as John Bell and the Bell Shakespeare Company, taiko great Eitetsu Hayashi, koto virtuosi Kazue Sawai and Satsuki Odamura, and choreographers Meryl Tankard and Anandavalli. In the 1980s Ian learnt taiko with Sen Amano of Yamanashi Prefecture, followed two decades later by tutorship from Eitetsu Hayashi. With Synergy, Ian collaborated with such luminaries as Fritz Hauser, Trilok Gurtu, Hossam Ramzy, Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Palle Mikkelborg, Dave Samuels, Graeme Murphy and Mike Nock, and toured Australia, England, Hungary, Sweden, Taiwan, Japan, Poland, Germany, New Zealand and Singapore.
In 2007 Ian received the APRA-AMC Classical Music Award for Long-term Contribution for the Advancement Of Australian Music, and in 2016, the Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendation for his contribution towards promoting friendship and goodwill between Australia and Japan. Ian is also a keen Kendoka and member of the Sydney Kendo Club.