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Ryoji Yamaguchi SoBe
Music Institute Positions:
Short Bio: Guitarist Ryoji Yamaguchi is active as a performer, arranger and composer in fields such as Classical, Pop/Rock, Ethnic, and other styles of music. He was born in Tel Aviv, Israel to Japanese parents in 1981. Since childhood, he has lived in other countries such as Greece, Mexico, Japan, El Salvador and the United States. At the age of five, he started violin lessons with Yuriko Kuronuma in Mexico. After returning to Japan, he began studying violin with Kanae Shiba. At the age of 16, he switched to the guitar while residing in El Salvador. From the year 2000 to 2004, he attended the University of Miami for bachelor’s degree in Classical guitar, where he studied with Dr. Rene Gonzalez. During Yamaguchi’s studies at the University, he had performed in masterclasses of guitarists such as Sergio and Odair Assad, Thomas Kirchhoff, Stephen Aron, Eduardo Fernandez, Ricardo Gallen, Manuel Barrueco, Hopkinson Smith, Jason Vieaux, and others. Yamaguchi’s current and past groups/projects include; fusion Andean group Inca Spirit, rock bands Caña, deafcayxxx, and Mess Anger, an instrumental trio Ensemble Otodama, and Sephardic Folk singer Susana Behar’s group. Yamaguchi has also worked with accomplished musicians from variety of fields such as; Hajime Nishi (Shamisen player), Harmonic Motion (Middle Eastern dance and music group), Junko Ohtsu (violinist), and Earl “Chinna” Smith (former guitarist of Bob Marley and the Wailers). In January of 2007, Yamaguchi’s instrumental group Ensemble Otodama, which consists of Brian Potts on percussion and Joe Rehmer on double bass, was featured in Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, among Kenny Rogers, Michael Bolton, Monty Alexander, ABBA, and Earth, Wind & Fire. Ryoji Yamaguchi and his groups have appeared in various music festivals, magazines, radio, and television programs. In February of 2004, he won the second prize at the first Miami International Guitar Competition. Pop/Rock group Caña also won a prize at a competition held by Hard Rock Café Miami in the same year. The group released their first album “On the Rocks” in the following year. Yamaguchi’s instrumental trio Ensemble Otodama will release their first CD “In Autumn” sometime in 2008. Ryoji Yamaguchi has recently completed Master of Music degree from the University of Miami Frost School of Music |
