Masahiro Nitta

Masahiro Nitta began playing the Tsugaru‑style shamisen at age 14 under the guidance of his father, Hiroshi Nitta, head of the Nitta‑ryū school. In just seven months he won his first Tokyo high‑school competition, and went on to claim the National Tsugaru Shamisen Kanagi contests in 2000 and 2001, followed by the All‑Japan championship in 2002. Known as one of the world’s greatest Tsugaru shamisen virtuosos, he has toured in over 15 countries—from the U.S. and Europe to Saudi Arabia’s Janadriyah Festival—and performed at Carnegie Hall during the 2011 “Japan NYC” event curated by Seiji Ozawa.

Beyond solo performance, he formed the acclaimed duo Nitta Oyako with his father and co‑leads the ensemble “Monsters of Shamisen” with Kevin Kmetz, Mike Penny, and Kyle Abbott. As a composer, producer, educator and mentor, he directs workshops around the globe and teaches at multiple schools in Sapporo, all while heading Ezo’n Music and producing over ten original recordings. He’s also a longtime partner of Kyle, together running the international shamisen community Bachido.