Kaoru Watanabe is a New York based composer and musician specialized in the Japanese taiko drum
and shinobue flute. Kaoru holds a BFA in jazz flute and saxophone.  He has spent decades artfully blending the sounds of Japanese instruments with those from around the world.
Kaoru has performed at prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Whitney Museum, Kabukiza, Minamiza, Blue Note NYC and has performed in all 47 prefectures of Japan. For close to a decade, Kaoru was a performing member and artistic director of renowned taiko ensemble Kodo.