Sho Omagari

Sho OmagariWinner of the 6th International Music Competition Mühlacker, Germany and 17th International Youth Music Competition, Bulgaria, Sho Omagari was born in Hamburg, Germany and made his first public appearance at the age 5. He is also a first place winner of numerous competitions worldwide including the 2012 International Music Competition Pforzheim in Germany, the 4th and 5th LISMA International Music Competition and others. He participated in the 4th International Summer Music Academy at the Mendelssohn University for Music and Theater (Leipzig, Germany), Holland International Music Sessions (the Netherlands), Meadowmount School of Music (New York) and the C.W. Post Music Festival (New York) at which he served as a concertmaster as well as a conductor. His awards include the Paul Rudoff Award, the North Shore Art Council Award, the North Shore Symphony Orchestra Artist Prize, the Oyster Bay Art Council Award, the MYO Scholarship and the LIC Scholarship. At New York’s 10 Year Anniversary Concert honoring 9/11, he became the first recipient of the Circle of Wind Music Scholarship Award, created in memory of the victims of the 9/11 incident and 3/11 Japan Quake. On April 2012, he was invited to perform at the Titanic’s 100th anniversary memorial ceremony over the Atlantic Ocean, which was broadcast on major Medias worldwide reaching to over 25 million people within three days. He has served as a member of the jury in the New York International Folk Music Competition, held by the United Nations and the Chinese Ministry of Culture.

Known for his emotional and powerful playing, he has appeared in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall Stern Auditorium and Weill Recital Hall, Avery Fisher Hall of Lincoln Center, Steinway Hall, Barclays Center, Boston Symphony Hall, Venetian Theater, New York Town Hall, Eastman Theater, and St. Thomas church known for its hosting of J.S. Bach in Leipzig, and Tokyo Metropolitan Theater among many others. His most recent activities include the collaboration with Olivier and Tony Awards winner Lea Salonga, Composer from Miyazaki Films from Studio Ghibli Joe Hisaishi, solo appearances with the Manhattan Symphonie, Westchester University Philharmonic, Circle of Wind Ensemble, Four Seasons Orchestra, Shinshu University Chamber Orchestra; recital tour of Japan, and the concerts at the evacuation shelters in one of the worst stricken area of Japan Quake with the invitation of former Senior Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan; masterclasses for the public schools around Tokyo, featured violinist by the invitation of the Ambassador of Japan at the Asian Society Award Ceremony given to the leading Asian professionals including Nobel Prize Winner in Physics, Shuji Nakamura, and world boxing champion as well as member of house of representative of Philippine, Manny Pacquiao. He performed in the soundtracks as a concertmaster and soloist in Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy XV Final Fantasy XII Zodiac Age, Final Fantasy XIII-3 Lightning Returns by Square Enix, Animation: Bloom into You, as well as 1st violin appearance on EA FIFA World Cup 19 and many others.

He has studied with Sally Thomas, Ann Setzer, Klaus Hertel, Josef Rissin, Angel Stankov and Krzystztof Wegrzyn, and conducting with Miriam Burns and Scott Wiley. He has participated in master classes with the Leipzig Quartet, James Ehnes, Midori, Hyo Kang, Ani Kavafian, Grigory Kalinovsky, Erica Kiesewetter, Albert Markov, William van der Sloot, and Nacham Erlich. He was an only student in several years graduating with the Bachelor of Science degree from the Mannes College of Music in 2009 where he studied with Sally Thomas. With the generous support of Lilly Z. Foldes, Irene Diamond Graduate Fellowship, Barnett Breeskin, Tomoko Scholarship, and the Tokyo Foundation, he completed his Masters Degree at The Juilliard School, and received his Doctoral of Musical Arts degree from the SUNY Stony Brook on full scholarship under instruction of Hagai Shaham, and Philip Setzer from Emerson Quartet.