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Kelsey Furuta

I first saw Portland Taiko perform at the Regional Taiko Gathering in Seattle (my hometown) in 1998. I had been playing taiko with my youth group for about 5 years, but when Portland Taiko took the stage, I knew immediately I wanted to join them someday. I was a summer intern with Portland Taiko in 2006 and also performed with Tsunami Taiko in Seattle, TaikoProject in Los Angeles and Kenny Endo Taiko Ensemble in Honolulu. 

I joined Portland Taiko’s artistic staff in 2009. Since then I’ve been a performer, instructor, performance coordinator and education coordinator. 

As the Executive Administrator I will:

  • Handle logistics and promotion for major concerts and events
  • Work collaboratively with the Artistic Director
  • Facilitate grant writing 
  • Work on donor communications

I always wondered why a taiko player would want to work for a taiko organization vs. actually performing. Now that I’m a parent, it completely makes sense to me! I don’t have the space in my life right now to attend rehearsals and performances. Until I can return to the drums, it’s truly an honor to be able to support our performers and our mission in a new way for me. 

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