Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto – Japanese koto musician, teacher, band leader, filmmaker
Media
KALW interview with Cara Nguyen https://www.kalw.org/2026-05-14/muramoto-on-the-koto “In Oakland, the musical legacy of Japanese American incarceration still resonates”
I am thrilled to share some incredible news with you: I have been selected as a 2024 Taproot Fellow by the Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA)!
Here is a link to the press release for the Taproot Fellowship: Taproot Fellowship Press Release 8.7.24 (actaonline.org)
IThe Taproot Fellowship is a groundbreaking program dedicated to uplifting traditional artists who serve as community leaders and catalysts for social change. This initiative, funded by the Mellon Foundation, awarded 25 artists with Fellowship grants of $50,000 this year, with a total of 50 artists being supported between this year and next.
Being chosen as a Taproot Fellow is an immense honor and a significant recognition of my work in preserving and promoting our cultural heritage. This fellowship will provide me with the resources and support needed to continue my artistic and cultural practice, and deepen my impact within our community.
I look forward to sharing more about my projects and experiences as a Taproot Fellow in the coming months. Thank you for your continued support and encouragement. If you’d like to share the news, feel free to use our social toolkit. Browse the Taproot website to learn more: taproot.actaonline.org.
Meet Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto | Performer and teacher of the Japanese koto, researcher of Japanese traditional performing arts in the WWII American concentration camps
“Shirley Muramoto is an exemplary artist-educator who elevates every project she touches. At the Freight & Salvage we are especially proud of her work with Ráyo Furuta on our Golden State of Song arts integration program, which seeks to enhance 4th Grade California History curriculum with relevant musical content. She is also a generous collaborator who shares great knowledge, ideas and resources in service of the vision at hand. I’d work with her again anytime.”
PC Muñoz, Director of Education & Community Engagement, Freight & Salvage, Berkeley, CA
The New Moon Newsletter from the Alliance for California Traditional Arts – October 2021
The New Moon Newsletter from the Alliance for California Traditional Arts featured a Q&A with me about my experience performing with the SF Symphony recently in their CURRENTS series, interview by Lily Kharrazi, “Traditional Koto at the Symphony”,
CONTINUING TRADITIONS: The evolution of koto artist Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto
April 3, 2021 by Kenji G. Taguma, Nichibei Weekly