Shamisen

Hitoshi Sugiyama

Born and raised in Japan, Hitoshi Sugiyama practiced and performed taiko and shinobue. During university, he started DJing and composing electronic music. In 2009, he moved to Canada and continued composing. He joined a local band and the soundtrack they created forThe Moustachewon awards at the 2017 Edmonton International Film Festival and the Las Vegas […]

Nagata Shachu

Nagata Shachu, based in Toronto, Canada, has enthralled audiences with its mesmerizing and heart-pounding performances of the Japanese drum (taiko) since its formation in 1998. The group has toured widely throughout Canada, the US and Italy, in addition to Mexico and Lebanon, performing in major theatres, concert halls, and festivals. While rooted in the folk […]

Teresa Kobayashi

Teresa Kobayashi is a master koto player, the daughter of renowned koto sensei Miyoko Kobayashi. She also plays the shamisen and shakuhachi and danced odori for 27 years. As a child, she was primarily interested in dance, and began learning the Hanayagi style of nihonbuyo (odori dance) at the age of six. However, she found […]

Noriko Kim Kobayashi

Noriko Kobayashi is a musician. She earned a M.A. degree in Ethnomusicology from the University of British Columbia, in addition to a B.A. in Music and Psychology from U.B.C. She also earned a music degree from Capilano College in classical voice studies and is also a published author on the subject of taiko. Prior to […]