Kana Omori

Kana Omori is an international marimbaist, percussionist as well as a composer from Japan.

She has been awarded several prestigious prizes, including First Prize at the International Music Competition in Kobe, Japan (2006) and the First Prize and Absolute Prize at the International Percussion Competition in Italy (2010) where she was also awarded a special prize from jury member N. J. Zivkovic. In 2011, Kana was awarded the Cultural Prize of the City of Kyoto. Kana is a tourist ambassador in Ishinomaki (Miyagi, Japan) as well as a presenter of her own radio program. Currently, Kana is an associate professor at the Osaka College of Music.

Kana is always interested in performing, recording, and premiering new works written for her. She has released seven albums of marimba music, with one, Gifts of The Wood, receiving a <Semi-Specialty Award> in a Japanese record magazine. Kana has also published a collection of essays titled My Dreams. Many books of her arrangements and compositions have been published by Edition Svitzer.

As a marimba soloist, Kana has performed many marimba concertos with numerous orchestras around the world and has given recitals, masterclasses, and clinics in over 10 countries across Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia and Australia. She has been invited to perform at percussion and marimba festivals in Australia, Argentina, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines, Thailand, Brazil, and has given clinic and performance at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) in the USA in both 2018 and 2023. Kana has also served as a jury member for the final round of The Japan Classical Music Competition and has been a faculty member of the International Marimba festival and Competition in Australia from 2019 to present. She has been commissioned by the Marimba Festival in Australia to compose the compulsory work for the final round of the International Marimba Competition in Australia since 2024.

Kana completed both her Master of Music and graduate studies at the Osaka College of Music. She also completed a Master of Music at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Munich, Germany, where she studied with the legendary Dr. Peter Sadlo.

Kana is an international artist of Adams/Pearl Percussion, Encore Mallets, Inc/Salyers Percussion, Aluphone, and Sabian Cymbals. She has her own signature mallet line “Kana Omori Signature Mallets Series” with Encore Mallets, Inc. Fall Creek Marimbas has also designed a special glockenspiel model named after her, the “KANA-Glock” and Adams Percussion created a special pink marimba for her.