Taiko

Terry Nguyen is a multi-generational performer and educator of traditional Japanese music. Specializing in taiko (ensemble drumming) and Tsugaru shamisen (a three-stringed percussive lute). Based in the Inland Empire and Greater Los Angeles area.
Academic & Professional Roles
• Director of UCR Taiko Ensemble: Since 2017, Nguyen has led the University of California, Riverside’s Taiko Ensemble. She is a lecturer in the Department of Music and an alumnus, with a Music and Culture degree.
• Co-Founder & Executive Director of TaikoMix: She leads this Riverside non-profit performing ensemble TaikoMix. Bringing community-based education, history and culture of taiko.
• The Wagaku Collective: Nguyen serves as the Artistic Director and principal shamisen player for this ensemble. Featuring traditional Japanese instruments like the shakuhachi, shinobue, and Okinawan sanshin.
Musical Background & Mentorship 
Her connection to taiko began under the tutelage of the late Rev. Shuichi Thomas Kurai, a pioneer of North American taiko. With 20+ years of experience and international study, including a week-long program at the Kodo Apprentice Centre on Sado Island, Japan. She’s, also, a recognized Tsugaru shamisen player (performing under the name “Tsugaruterry”). She also studied under:
• Mitsuru Sasaki (Mitsuyoshi Sasaki School of Tsugaru shamisen)
• Hiromitsu Agatsuma (World-renowned composer & virtuoso)
Honors & Recognition
• Yamaha “40 Under 40” (2022): Yamaha Music USA’s list celebrating excellence in music education.
• ACTA Grants: Recognized by the Alliance for California Traditional Arts through their Apprenticeship Program (2014) and Living Cultures Grant (2023).
"The people you meet along life's trajectory are there for a reason. It is not mere coincidence. It's serendipity." - Terry Nguyen

Back