Biography
Chihiro
Shibayama.
After more than 25 years performing on some of music's most demanding stages — from Broadway and the Metropolitan Opera to Carnegie Hall and national television — Chihiro Shibayama has come to focus on what she sees as music's most important work: helping musicians build careers that are creative, sustainable, and authentically their own.
"…impressive soloist…"
— The New York Times
Based in Longmont, Colorado, Chihiro runs Shibayama Percussion Studio, where she teaches students of all ages and levels in person and online, drawing on more than two decades of teaching experience. She is currently developing Creating Your Own Path: How to Build a Sustainable Music Career, a webinar drawing on the strategies and lessons she's gathered navigating a multi-decade career across genres, cities, and life stages.
As a performer, Chihiro is a member of the Longmont Symphony Orchestra and a frequent substitute with the Colorado Symphony. She also performs with other regional ensembles and actively seeks collaborations with musicians in her community.
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Selected Credits
Broadway & Television
Chihiro was a percussionist for the Broadway run of Miss Saigon (March 2017 – January 2018), and made her Broadway debut as one of three on-stage musicians for The Cherry Orchard starring Diane Lane, produced by The Roundabout Theatre Company. She has performed for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, NBC's Good Morning America with John Legend and Common, the Daytime Emmy Awards, and Broadway productions including The Addams Family, Anything Goes, Cinderella, and West Side Story.
Opera & Orchestra
Chihiro was one of three on-stage percussion soloists in the U.S. premiere of Tan Dun's opera TEA – A Mirror of Soul at The Santa Fe Opera (2007), the East Coast premiere at the Opera Company of Philadelphia (2009), and the Canadian premiere at the Vancouver Opera (2013). She has performed with The Metropolitan Opera, Kansas City Symphony, San Diego Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, the Longmont Symphony, the Colorado Symphony, and many others.
New Music & Chamber
A passionate new music advocate, Chihiro has performed and recorded with Alarm Will Sound, American Contemporary Music Ensemble (ACME), S.E.M. Ensemble, New Juilliard Ensemble, and AXIOM. She toured China in 2015 to perform at the Beijing Modern Music Festival, and has appeared on Amazon Prime's Mozart in the Jungle. She is co-founder of Multicultural Sonic Evolution (MuSE).
Teaching
Chihiro has dedicated more than 20 years to percussion education. She served as percussion faculty at Diller-Quaile School of Music for seven years and Third Street Music Settlement for two years. From 2007 to 2010 she was faculty at The Juilliard Summer Percussion Seminar. Her masterclass My Way to Broadway has been presented at multiple universities and the Juilliard Summer Percussion Masterclass Series.
She is currently accepting private students in Longmont, Colorado and online worldwide.
View lesson options →Background & Training
A native of Yokohama, Japan, Chihiro graduated from the Interlochen Arts Academy with a performance award in 2003. She earned her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School in 2007 and 2009. Her mentors include Daniel Druckman, Greg Zuber, Markus Rhoten, Joe Pereira, Roland Kohloff, Keith Aleo, Mariko Okada, and John Alfieri.
Endorsements
Chihiro proudly endorses Pearl Adams Concert Percussion and Dragonfly Percussion.
Proudly endorses
