The core meaning of the kanji 奏奏 is "to present" or "to perform," often in the context of offering something to a superior or performing music. It implies a sense of action done with respect, often as a form of communication or offering. Think of it as conveying something, whether it be a piece of music, a report, or a request.

・On-yomi (音読み): ソウ ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): かな-deru (to play music)

⚫︎演奏 (えんそう) Translation: Performance (of music) ⚫︎奏上 (そうじょう) Translation: Presenting (to a superior); reporting ⚫︎合奏 (がっそう) Translation: Ensemble; orchestra

The kanji 奏奏 is a phono-semantic compound. The top part, 𦥑, is an older form of the character "hand" (手), which has changed over time. The bottom component is 夫, which means "man" or "husband". The original meaning of 奏奏 was "to offer up (music) with both hands," hence the combination of "hand" and "man" (representing a person doing the action). Over time, the meaning expanded to encompass presenting anything, not just music. It visually represents the act of a person respectfully offering something up, such as a musical performance or a report, to a superior.