Duo SHIKA

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SHIKA is a duo formed by Yung-Tuan Ku (percussionist, Taiwan) and Vanja Schoch (soprano, Switzerland) in 2014. The two of them met during their studies in the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. Because they share similar ideas and interests in music and life, playing together happened naturally. They enjoy intensive, hard work, but fun is always around the next corner.

Together they have conquered pieces such as George Crumb’s “Book of Madrigals 1” for percussion, voice and double bass and worked with composer Anthony Dunstan on his arrangement of “Corrugations” for voice and percussion. Their latest project is “Ho Shang Yao”, a very delicate composition based on antique Chinese poems from 700 BC, and to bring out all its characteristics by working with the composer James Wood himself.If the going in the rehearsal room gets tough, they simply take out their Mbiras, the thumb piano of Zimbabwe, and enjoy a little break by singing its traditional folksongs.

Plans for the future involve delving more deeply into contemporary percussion and voice repertoire, music theater and mbira music from Zimbabwe.