Oyama x Nitta Duo
Yutaka Oyama and Masahiro Nitta are regarded as two of Japan's foremost Tsugaru
shamisen performers. Using an innovative approach to the traditional sounds of the
shamisen, they perform classic and original scores with virtuosic improvisations
that display the versatility of the instrument. With their roots in Aomori and Hokkaido,
respectively, Oyama and Nitta each started studying the shamisen at a very early
age. They have won numerous Tsugaru shamisen contests in Japan, and regularly
perform together in Japan and internationally.
Yutaka Oyama, a third-generation Tsugaru shamisen player of the Oyama school,
hails from Aomori, the epicenter of rich folkloric music. He began his studies with his
grandfather, Mitsuou Oyama, headmaster of the Oyama shamisen school. He is a
two-time winner (2001, 2002) of the National Folkloric Music Association's Tsugaru Shamisen
Contest in Japan. Oyama has visited many countries in Africa, Europe, and Asia as part of
the cultural exchange programs of the Japan Foundation, contributing to the popularization
of Japanese culture. In addition to live performances, Oyama has recorded albums,
commercials, and video-game software. In 2003, he formed the ensemble Soothe for Tsugaru
shamisen, Japanese taiko, guitar, bass, and drum; the group has released
three albums: Soothing (2004), Habitual (2006), and Bolinho De
Arroz (2009).
Masahiro Nitta is a second-generation Tsugaru shamisen player of the Nitta
school. He began his studies at the age of 14, encouraged by his father Hiroshi Nitta. He
won the Tokyo National Tsugaru Shamisen Championship (Junior and Senior High School
Division), and went on to win the Kanagi National Tsugaru Shamisen Championship twice
(2000, 2001), as well as the National Tsugaru Shamisen Contest (2002). Nitta has recorded
several albums, including Shamisen Kid, which he released in 2000 when he was
still in high school. He has performed with his father in the Nitta Oyako duo, and also
with guitarist Dean Magraw, Monsters of Shamisen, and the Esoragoto Band. In addition,
Nitta has performed extensively throughout Asia, Europe, and the US.
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