BIO

Shota Otaguro is a free-lance percussionist from San Jose, California. He got his bachelor degree in Music Performance from San Jose State University, studying under Galen Lemmon to learn classic, orchestral, and contemporary percussion. He has also been to several music festivals like PASIC and ZMF to study under renown artists like Nanae Mimura, Mike Truesdale, and Jack Van Geem. He is currently a member of the San Francisco Brass Band playing timpani.

 

As a competitor, Shota has most recently won first place at Fremont Symphony’s Young Artist Competition in the summer of 2019. In the past, he has been a part of California’s PAS competitive festival and has won 1st place for Collegiate solo marimba in 2018, won SJSU’s concerto competition in the spring of 2019, and was a semi-finalist at the Great Plains International Marimba competition.

 

As an educator, Shota currently presents masterclasses in the Pre University Percussion Group, directs percussion sectionals at San Jose Youth Symphony and coaches at Monta Vista High School Marching Band. In the past, Shota has taught and arranged front ensemble music at Homestead High School Marching Band and Winter Percussion for three years and was also the percussion director of the Fremont High School Concert Percussion.

 

 Other than performing, teaching and arranging music, Shota also spends time recording, editing and producing concerts at SJSU for student recitals and chamber ensembles.