These musicians are well-known not only in Japanese, but also American and European improvised music circles. The decades of active performing have brought them together with a number of experimental music coryphées from around the world.

Tenko kicked off her career in music with female rock group Mizutama Shobodan in 1979. Two years later in New York she got captivated by improvised music and back in Japan started performing in a vocal duo The Honeymoons.

In 1984 in New York, Tenko made her debut as a soloist and before long started working with New Yorkers Fred Frith, John Zorn, Christian Marclay and David Moss. She also performed and recorded with Art Lindsay, Wayne Horvitz, as well as Japanese Otomo Yoshihide, Tatsuya Yoshida, Ikue Mori duo and Wni-Gohan female improvisers group.

Since 1985, Tenko has collaborated with various musicians in festivals in the USA, Europe and Asia.

Uchihashi Kazuhisa (b. 1959) has delved into improvised music in 1983. With the intention to expand electric guitar possibilities he tried his hand in a good many of sound producing devises.

The guitarist has honed his improvisation skills with such celebrities as Fred Frith, Tom Cora, Peter Brötzmann, Derek Bailey, Elliott Sharp, Chris Cutler, Han Bennink, Shelley Hirsch, Hans Reichel, Ned Rothenberg, Steve Beresford, Charles Hayward and Franz Hautzinger among others.

Uchihashi Kazuhisa is involved in making film sound tracks, also writes music for theatre and dance productions. For more than 20 years he has been associated with Japanese theatre group Ishin-ha. In addition, he is the leader of Altered States, the band focusing on improvised rock and experimental solo compositions.

The guitarist also finds himself in educational activities. Since 1995, he has been holding a monthly free improvisation workshop called New Music Action for talented young musicians around Japan. In addition, Uchihashi Kazuhisa organises annual improvised music festival Beyond Innocence in Osaka.

The musician is bringing to Vilnius not only his guitar, but also an exotic instrument called daxophone, which was introduced to Vilnius Jazz audience in 2002 by its inventor – the eccentric German guitarist and composer Hans Reichel. It is played by bowing its thin wooden strips, but it can also be struck or plucked. Uchihasi Kazuhisa has played this instrument since 1998.